Chair Summary
Water Environment Partnership in Asia
1st International Workshop
Tokyo, Japan
Jan. 24-25, 2005
1. The 1st International Workshop of the Water Environment Partnership in Asia(WEPA), hosted by the Ministry of the Environment in Japan and the Institute for
Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), was held on 24-25 January 2005 at theHotel Villa Fontaine Shiodome in Tokyo, Japan. The workshop was attended by 33people, including representatives from 8 WEPA partner countries and Japanesewater experts (members of the Japanese Steering Committee of WEPA).
2.

The Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA) is an initiative that wasproposed by the Ministry of the Environment in Japan at the Third World Water
Forum held in Kyoto in March 2003. WEPA aims to develop an information
platform to strengthen governance and capacity building in addressing water
environment issues, and to promote regional sustainable development based on
partnerships with all parties concerned. It is registered in “the Portfolio of Water
Actions (PWA)”, which is a collection of contributions by various countries andinternational bodies towards solving water problems, as a concrete action aimed at
the prevention of water pollution.

3. WEPA was officially inaugurated in April 2004, following the Inception WEPA
workshop held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in March 2004. The goal of the First WEPAInternational Workshop was to share information about the progress on theconstruction of water environment-related databases being built by WEPA and,through discussion of database formats and future plans, to further promote water
environment improvement efforts by developing mutual understanding among
WEPA partner countries and strengthening cooperation in the area of water
environment conservation.
4. The workshop opened with a keynote address entitled “Role of WEPA Programmein Water Environment Management in Asia – Activities towards WWF4” from Dr.
Motoyuki Suzuki (President of the Central Environment Council, Professor at theUniversity of the Air, and Special Academic Advisor at United Nations University),
who is also an advisor to the Japanese Steering Committee of WEPA.
Workshop Chair, Professor Mitsumasa Okada (Dean, Graduate School of Engineering,Hiroshima University) summarized the discussion as follows;
5.

WEPA partner countries come to a consensus that the significance of the WEPA
project is to promote appropriate governance and to improve capacity building forgood water environments. Each partner country that attended the workshop also
reconfirmed its proactive participation and continued future cooperation in theWEPA project through partnership.

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6.

Recognizing that the deterioration of water quality in the Asian region has led toconcern about the provision of safe drinking water and its impact on human healthand ecosystems, it was reconfirmed that the scope of “water environment” in
WEPA will focus on water quality. Accordingly, the scope of the databases being
built under WEPA will conform to this. However, it is desirable for the scope to be
expanded into a comprehensive database on water environment conservation as
work progresses. In addition, target water bodies were stipulated as including
surface water, semi-enclosed water bodies, coastal areas and groundwater.

Regarding WEPA database construction
7. The WEPA database consists of four databases; a policy-related information
database, a database on activities by NGOs and CBOs （ community basedorganizatons）, a database on technologies for water environmental conservation
and an information sources database. It is important that the four databases plannedfor construction under WEPA include information that is useful to policy planners
in each country, who will be the principal users, in the conduct of water
environment conservation activities. In addition, it was pointed out that there is anecessity to enhance linkages among these four databases in order to make thedatabases more user- friendly.
8. It was noted that in increasing the user friendliness of the databases, it is also
necessary to look into creating opportunities in which the opinions of actual users
can be gathered during the database construction process. Moreover, with regard to
information collection, opinions were expressed that coordination between not only
representatives of each country’s government, but also civil society groups andacademic experts should be examined.
9. During the workshop, discussion was conducted about the contents and thecollection of information for each database in the near future. The following points
were raised as items to be considered in development of each database.
(Policy-related Information Database)
10. The Policy-related Information Database aims to provide useful information, when
the policy makers in partner countries need to propose policies suitable to theintrinsic conditions each country possesses. The provision of information on thebackground and parameters that have led each government to promote certain
measures and policies is particularly important to adopt appropriate policies withthe socio-economic conditions of each country in mind. Participants had a common
understanding of this point and agreed to work towards the further development of
information in each country.
11. The range of information covered in the Policy-related Information Databasedepends upon the judgment of each country. Although the priority is basically2given to information concerned with the policy of central governments,
information on local authorities can also be collected and organized in response to
the situation in each county.
12．Although being aware of the importance of such problems as water-born diseases,
the Policy-related Information Database will not actively cover these issues for thetime being, while leaving the possibility of including this information later on.
13. It is confirmed by participants that local level activities by all stakeholders could beincorporated, and also agreed that not only current activities but also future plan will
be included.
14. Recognizing the importance of the involvement of accurate and concrete
information in the WEPA database and the necessity of data assurance among
relevant ministries, the data should be confirmed in each country. To facilitate
confirmation in each country before the information is published on the web, theJapanese government will make necessary arrangements as appropriate.
15. Regarding the Mekong River Commission, respective countries will cooperate with
the Commission to effectively collect the data as necessary. Future cooperation
with the Commission in the WEPA project will be considered.
16. Participants shared their understanding that coordination between partner countries
and the WEPA secretariat should be further strengthened in order to promote thedevelopment of a Policy-related Information Database. It was also agreed that thedevelopment of the database should be promoted by exchanging opinions about
what should be improved regarding data collection by using such occasions asregional meetings.
(Activities by NGOs and CBOs Database)
17. The Database aims to provide information on activities of NGOs and CBOs
(community based organizations) and awareness raising programs by governments
in user-friendly and precise manner. Thus, policy makers can use it in order topromote participation of stakeholders and cooperation of NGOs and governments.
18. Partner countries generally agreed on the secretariat’s plan for collecting
information and also promised to collect successful cases of activities by NGOs andCBOs. The criteria for selection of cases will depend on the judgment of eachcountry.
19. It was agreed that in the Activities by NGOs and CBOs Database, the content needs
to be such that the backgrounds of each country’s activities are understandable, and
it is necessary to consider the possibility of providing the Database in local
languages to promote the activities of civil society for environmental conservationin respective countries.

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(Technologies for Water Environmental Conservation Database)
20 ． The objective of the Database on Technologies for Water Environmental
Conservation is to understand and deepen the recognition of the important points
that help policy makers and practitioners from partner countries adopt and adapt
appropriate technologies, including soft technologies such as cleaner technologies,
and facilitate constructions and operations with regional sustainability in mind, inplanning and introducing technologies and systems of wastewater treatment. The
important points mentioned above include, but are not limited to adaptability toregional conditions unique to Asian monsoon regions, operation management suchas cost recovery, treatment performance, understanding and cooperation of regional
citizens, and mid and long term perspectives such as financial planning.
21. In developing the Database on Technologies for Water Environmental Conservation,
it is necessary to list up good examples that hold sufficient past operating records
and sustainable operations in accordance with local conditions.
22. It was agreed upon that a common awareness should be fostered among partnercountries with regard to the necessity of promoting the application of appropriatetechnologies that take into account characteristics unique to Asian monsoon regions.
The partner countries also came to an agreement that they should work together tostudy information to be collected associated with relevant technologies.
23. Agreement was reached with regard to the selection of people, through the focal
point of WEPA partner countries, who are responsible for examining the above
information in order to develop the data of technologies for water environmental
conservation and promote the application of appropriate technologies.
24. WEPA aims to hold a technologies working group, which will be attended by thosein charge of developing the Database on Technologies for Water Environmental
Conservation, from the partner countries in May 2005, in order to discuss concrete
items needed to develop the database.

Future Activities of WEPA
25. It is confirmed that the secretariat will provide necessary support to the partnercountries in order to provide useful information. In this regard, partner countries
should raise their requirements (for data/information collection) directly to thesecretariat. The required capacity building related to water quality management,including the wastewater treatment technology, should be sent to the secretariat
before the end of August this year.
26. The issue of capacity building to strengthen water environment governance will beconsidered by the secretariat in the future in cooperation with partner countries.

427. It is recommended that each partner country use the WEPA database as a platform ofinformation on water environmental administration and also update it. It isimportant to seek the sustainable management of the WEPA database.
28. The WEPA database prototypes will be officially introduced at the Fourth World
Water Forum (WWF4) to be held in Mexico in March 2006. It was agreed thatcollaboration between the various countries will be promoted in addition to thepromotion of information collection and organization in each country according tothe secretariat’s proposed schedule.
29. Through the various preparatory meetings for the 13th Commission on Sustainable
Development (CSD13) to be held in April, 2005 and for WWF4, it is important tointroduce WEPA activities as concrete activity examples of water environment
conservation in Asia and expand the effectiveness of the WEPA databases. Further
efforts among partner countries and cooperation with other international bodies willbe essential in order to increase the WEPA international presence.
30. As part of the preparations for the release of the prototypes at WWF4, the Second
WEPA International Workshop will be held tentatively in January 2006. The hostcountry for the next workshop will be decided in due course.
31. Participants recognized that there are common issues with regard to water
environment administration among partner countries. All agreed that WEPA will bea platform to promote cooperation as they work on those issues, keeping in mind arespect for each country’s identity. Their intention to make further efforts towards
the progress of this project was confirmed.
32. Participants recommended the establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) between the Ministry of the Environment of Japan and partner countries /Designated National Authority (DNA), in order to provide a framework to meet theWEPA objectives and to enhance the capacity building of partner countries andsynergy among related programs and activities.

Mitsumasa Okada
Chair
The First International Workshop forWater Environment Partnership in Asia
Professor, Hiroshima University5