Challenges and Targets of South East
Asian Water Environment- Insights from WEPA Activities Masaki SUEHISA
Deputy Director, Water Environment Division
Environment Management Bureau
Ministry of the Environment, Japan

Water Environmental Partnership in Asia
(WEPA)
Recognizing the improvement of water environmental governance isessential to solve water pollution problems in the Asian region, the Water Environmental
Partnership in Asia (WEPA) was launched in 2004 by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan.
WEPA conducts its activity on a 5-year cycle and the third phase started in April 2014

WEPA consists of partners in

13 Asian countries

1. Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka)
2. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (Nepal)
3. Japan (Japan)
4. Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia)
5. Kingdom of Thailand (Thailand)
6. Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)
7. Malaysia (Malaysia)
8. People's Republic of China (China)
9. Republic of Indonesia (Indonesia)
10. Republic of Korea (Republic of Korea)
11. Republic of the Philippines (Philippines)
12. Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam)
13. Union of Myanmar (Myanmar)

22Purpose of WEPA (2004-2013)
1st Phase of WEPA：

2nd Phase of WEPA：

Development of Information Platform ofWater Environmental Management

Knowledge Sharing for Solution Finding

Water Environmental
Management Review

3

Domestic
Wastewater
Treatment

Climate Changeand Water
Environment

Identified Issue for 2nd Phase

WEPA database www. wepa-db.net

3

3

Purpose of WEPA (2014-)
3rd Phase of WEPA：Actions for Issue Solution
Identifying critical issues, supporting
resolution thereof and sharing
experiences related thereto

Facilitating knowledge exchange anddialogues, thereby building capacity
Group workshop

Annual Meetings

Bilateral Dialogues
Action program

Facilitating cooperation with international organizations and donor agencies

Outreach
Webdatabase

Outlook + OtherPublications
4Inputs to international conferencessuch as WWF
4

Organization of Workshop andBilateral Meeting

5Workshop(in Sri Lanka in 2015)

Bilateral Meeting(in Viet Nam in 2014)
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WEPA Databasewww. wepa-db.net
1. Policy- State of Water environment- Legislative Framework (Such as Ambient Water Quality Standard)- Water Quality Monitoring, etc

2. Technology- Wastewater treatment facility under operation in Asia

3. NGO &CBO Activities
6- Water environmental conservation activities

4. Information Source- Links to useful sites on water environmental management
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Publications

7

WEPA Outlook

Policy Brief
7
7

Review Points of Water Environmental
Management in WEPA
1. Legislation, policies and strategies for water
environmental management- Objectives of water environmental management, ambient water quality
standards as the administrative target, strategies or plans for water
environment

2. Monitoring of water environment- Ambient water quality monitoring, recording, maintenance, evaluation, anddisclosure of their results

3. Measures to ensure implementation and compliance,
focusing on wastewater management- Inventory data of pollution load, industrial and domestic wastewater
management 88

Establishment of Water Environmental
Standard in WEPA Countries
Country
Cambodia
China
Indonesia
Japan
Republic
Korea
Lao PDR
Malaysia
Myanmar
Nepal
Philippines
Sri Lanka
Thailand
Vietnam

Surface Water
Water Quality Standards in Public
Water Areas
Environmental Quality Standards
for Surface Water
Water Quality Criteria
Environmental Quality Standards
for Water Pollutionof Environmental Standards for Water
Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem
Surface Water Quality Standard

Groundwater

Marine Water

Water Quality Standards in Public Water Quality Standards in Public
Water Areas
Water Areas
Quality Standard for Ground Water Sea Water Quality Standard
Water Quality Criteria
EnvironmentalWater
QualityStandards of Groundwater
Environmental Standards for Water
Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem

Standard Quality of Seawater
Environmental Quality Standards
for Water Pollution
Environmental Standards for Water
Quality and Aquatic Ecosystem

Groundwater Quality Standard

National Water Quality Standards

Marine Water Quality Criteria andStandard

Water Quality Criteria for Fresh
Surface Waters

Water Quality Criteria for Coastaland Marine Waters

Surface Water Quality Standards
Groundwater Quality StandardsMarine Water Quality Standard
National Technical Regulation on National Technical Regulation on National Technical Regulation onSurface Water Quality
Ground Water Quality
Coastal Water Quality

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Implementation of Ambient Water Quality
Monitoring
Country
Cambodia
China

Indonesia
Japan
Republic
Korea
Malaysia
Philippines

Thailand
Viet Nam

No. of Monitoring Stations

Frequency

10 (rivers)
Monthly469 (rivers), 26 (main lakes andUnknownreservoirs), 4 (Three Gorges Dam), 4100(Groundwater), 279,225 km2 (marinewater)
Unknown (40 rivers)
At least twice a month
4,550 (rivers), 475 (lakes and reservoirs), Monthly
2,044 (sea), 3,680 (Groundwater)of 697 (rivers), 185 (lakes), 2,499
Monthly for rivers and lakes (48(groundwater)times/year for key locations)
2 times/year for Groundwater
901 (rivers), 105 (groundwater), 321
Unknown(marine water)
192 (rivers), 4 (lakes), 88 (groundwater), Monthly or 4 times/year (rivers)
unknown (marine water)
unknown (groundwater, marinewater)
366 (rivers and lakes), 170 (marine
4 times/year (rivers and lakes)
waters), 620 stations (groundwater)
2 times/year (marine water)
248 (surface water)
4 times/yearYear2011201120112013
2008

2013
20012015
2012
2007

1010

Implementation of Ambient Water Quality Monitoringand Disclosure of the result

1111

BOD/COD Pollution Load from Different Sectors in
Selected WEPA Countries
02040

6080100

China (COD)
Japan/Tokyo Bay (COD)
Phillippines (BOD)
Malaysia (BOD)
Thailand (BOD)
Indonesia/Jatunseluna River Basin(BOD)
Domestic

Industrial

Agricultural

Other
1212

Establishment of Effluent Water Standard
in WEPA Countries

1313

Situation of Domestic Wastewater Treatment in Asia

Service coverage rates of sewerage treatment in WEPA countries
1414

Septic Tank Coverage in Selected WEPA Countries
CountryVietnamYear

2008

Malaysia

2010

Indonesia

2011

Philippines

2010

National Average
Urban Area

Coverage Rate(%)
41
79

Rural Area
National Average
National Average
JakartaManila

26
2160
93
71

Area

15
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Our Understanding on Water Environmental
Management in Asian countries• Basic water environmental management
framework such as legal systems, policy and strategies,
has already been developed in most WEPA countries.
• In addition, most of WEPA Asian countries implement
regular water quality monitoring and disclose theresults of the monitoring, although the level of themonitoring differs among different countries.

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Our Understanding on Water Environmental
Management in Asian countries• However, many counties face problems inenforcement of wastewater management
framework.
• As the first step toward the solution of this issue,

baseline information such as impact ofdomestic wastewater to water environment,
current situation of domestic wastewater
management should be accumulated and shared
among responsible institutions.
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Thank you for your listening

WEPA database www. wepa-db.net

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