The 16th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop
1 & 2 March 2021
Overview
The 16th Annual Meeting was held on 1 & 2 March 2021, co-hosted by the WEPA Secretariat and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan. It was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WEPA member states, WEPA advisory board members, as well as experts and stakeholders attended the meeting. Dr. Yoshitaka Ebie, a member of the WEPA Advisory Board, delivered the keynote speech on “Institutional Approaches to Achieve Appropriate Decentralized Wastewater Treatment” and this was followed by a lively Q & A session. The WEPA partner countries then gave presentations on progress made on water environment governance, focusing on the “Current Status and Challenges of Domestic Wastewater Treatment”, with an active exchange of views.


- Venue
- Online
- Participants
- WEPA Advisory Board Members, WEPA partner countries (13 countries) and experts/stakeholders
- Organizers
- WEPA Secretariat Ministry of the Environment, Japan
- Language
- English
- Chairperson of the Annual Meeting
- Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board, Vice President of the Open University of Japan)
- Moderator of the International Workshop
- Mr. Osamu Mizuno (WEPA Secretariat)
Agenda and Presentations (Annual Meeting, Day 1 (1 March))
- Opening remarks
- Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board, Vice President of the Open University of Japan)
- Opening remarks
- Mr. Seiji Tsutsui, Director, Water Environment Division, Environmental Management Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
- Progress of WEPA Activities in 2020
- Mr. Osamu Mizuno, WEPA Secretariat
- Keynote Presentation: Institutional Approach to Spreading Appropriate Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Treatment Facilities
- Dr. Yoshitaka Ebie, Senior Researcher, Center for Material Cycles and Waste Management Research, National Institute for Environmental Studies
- Q & A
Updates on Water Environmental Governance in WEPA Partner Countries

Agenda and Presentations (Annual Meeting, Day 2, 2 March)
Updates on Water Environmental Governance in WEPA Partner Countries
- Discussion
- WEPA Activity Plan in 2021-2022
- Mr. Osamu Mizuno, WEPA Secretariat
- Closing remarks
- Prof. Mitsumasa Okada, Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board
The 15th WEPA Annual Meeting and International Workshop
6 and 8 February 2020
Overview
The Ministry of the Environment, Japan and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand co-organized the 15th WEPA Annual Meeting on 8 February 2020 and International Workshop on 6 February 2020 in Bangkok, Thailand. WEPA member states, WEPA advisory board members, and experts from both Japan and Thailand were attended the meeting. On the first day, the WEPA International Workshop was held focusing on the current situation, challenges and possible solutions on industrial wastewater management in WEPA countries. All WEPA member states presented updates on Water Environmental Governance and actively exchanged views at the Annual Meeting. At the meeting, compliance with industrial wastewater regulations was reconfirmed as a priority issue for member states to tackle in the fourth phase. Originally 13 counties were scheduled to attend the meeting; however, due to an outbreak caused by a novel coronavirus, 10 countries were participated in the meeting.



- Venue
- Grande Centre Point Ploenchit Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand
- Participants
- WEPA Advisory Board Members, WEPA partner countries (10 countries) and experts from Japan and Thailand
- Organizers
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand
- Language
- English
- Chairperson of the Annual Meeting
- Prof. Mitsumasa Okada (Chairman of WEPA Advisory Board, Vice President of the Open University of Japan)
- Moderator of the International Workshop
- Osamu Mizuno (WEPA Secretariat)
Agenda and Presentations (Annual Meeting, 8 February)
Opening remarks
- WEPA Framework in the 4th Phase
- Noriaki Murase, WEPA Secretariat
- Discussion
- Summary of International Workshop
- Pham Ngoc Bao, WEPA Secretariat
Session 1: Progress of WEPA activities in FY2019
- Report from WEPA secretariat
- Bijon Kumar Mitra, WEPA Secretariat
- Report of WEPA Action Program in Indonesia on TMDL
- Pham Ngoc Bao, WEPA Secretariat
- Proposal of WEPA Action Program in Cambodia
- Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
- Discussion
Session 2:Updates on Water Environmental Governance in WEPA Partner Countries
- Discussion
Session 3:Future plan in FY2020
- Plan of future activities
- Noriaki Murase, WEPA Secretariat
Closing remarks
Agenda and Presentations (International Workshop, 6 February)



Opening remarks
- Framing presentation
- Noriaki Murase, WEPA Secretariat
- Keynote presentation (1) Effluent Regulation System under the Water Pollution Control Act
- Prof. Emeritus Masaaki Hosomi, WEPA Advisory Board Member
- Q&A
- Keynote presentation (2) Thai experience on industrial wastewater regulation
- Dr. Chaiyo Juisiri, Director of Inland Water Section, Pollution Control Department, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
- Q&A
- Recent efforts in industrial wastewater regulation (pollution load control) in WEPA countries: (Malaysia, Republic of Korea)
- Recent efforts in industrial wastewater regulation (wastewater quality control) in WEPA countries: (Philippines)
- Q&A and Discussion on industrial wastewater regulation
Presentation on Introduction of industrial wastewater treatment technology applicable to Asian countries
- Q&A
- Comments from Prof. Fujie, WEPA advisor
Closing
Bilateral Meeting on the WEPA Action Program in Cambodia
11 December 2019
Overview
The Ministry of the Environment, Japan and the Ministry of Environment of Cambodia co-organized the Bilateral Meeting on the WEPA Action Program in Cambodia on 11 December 2019, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The WEPA Action Program aims to tackle specific problems to conserve the water environment in WEPA partner countries and has been conducted since 2014. In the meeting, the experiences of both Japan and Cambodia on water environment management were shared and further proposals on the action program were discussed.



- Venue
- Hotel Palace Gate, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Participants
- WEPA Advisory Board Member, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Tonle Sap Authority (TSA), Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC), Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT)
- Organizers
- Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOE) Ministry of Environment, Cambodia (MOEC)
- Language
- English-Khmer simultaneous interpretation
- Chairperson
- Chea Sina, Acting Director General of Environmental Protection, MOEC
Agenda of the Meeting and Presentations
Opening Session
- Welcome Speech
- Tsubasa Hashimoto, Deputy Director, Water Environment Division, Ministry of the Environment, Japan (MOEJ)
- Welcome Speech and Opening Remarks
- Chea Sina, Acting Director General, Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia (MOEC)
- Brief introduction of WEPA and purpose of consultation meeting
- Noriaki Murase, WEPA Secretariat
Session 1: Japanese Experience on Pollution Load Investigation and Pollution Control System for Conservation of Water Quality
- Lake Water Quality Conservation Measures of Japan
- Tsubasa Hashimoto, MOEJ
- Lessons from pollution load investigations in water bodies of Japan
- Koichi Fujie, WEPA Advisory Board Member
- Initiatives for water environment conservation in lakes of Japan: Case of Lake Biwa
- Bijon Kumer Mitra, WEPA Secretariat
Session 2: Environmental Management of Tonle Sap Great Lake and Propose WEPA Action Program in Cambodia
- Water Quality and Environmental Management in Tonle Sap Lake
- Khov Visong, Tonle Sap Authority (TSA)
- Temporal Variation of Sediment and Nutrients (Nitrate and Phosphorus) Dynamics in the Mekong/Tonle Sap River in Cambodia
- Oeurng Chantha, Institute of Technology of Cambodia (ITC)
- Urban Sewarage System in Cambodia
- Lun Hang, Ministry of Public Works and Transport (MPWT)
- Proposal for WEPA action program in Cambodia
- Him Chandath, MOEC
Closing Session
- Wrap-up
- Noriaki Murase, WEPA Secretariat
- Closing Remarks
- Phin Rady, Director, Water Quality Management Department, MOEC