PEMSEA Resource Facility (PRF)

ST 1.7: State of River Basin Reporting: Establishing the Baseline and Mechanism to Track Progress in the Source to Sea Continuum

Introduction

The conduct of baseline assessment of the Source-to-Sea (S2S) management continuum with a targeted outcome of improving understanding of governance, socioeconomic, ecological conditions, gaps and needs of priority river basins/sub-basins and associated coastal areas through the State of River Basin (SORB) reporting system is one of the major outcomes of the implementation of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Project on Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) in the ASEAN Countries. The SORB reporting system aims to:

  1. Establish baseline conditions in a river basin/associated coastal area prior to the startup of the IRBM program, including changes that are climate related;
  2. Assess progress, achievements and shortcomings of ongoing IRBM programs by determining changing conditions with respect to governance and social and economic conditions, including gender gaps as well as trends and/or emerging environmental issues; and
  3. Develop recommendations for continual improvement of IRBM programs including recommendations on ensuring gender responsiveness and incorporating gender equality, where appropriate for consideration by national and local governments and other relevant stakeholders in each river basin/coastal

This session aims to:

  1. Launch the State of River Basin reporting as a monitoring instrument to support river basin management in the ASEAN region;
  2. Share the process in developing the SORB Guidebook and the experiences and lessons learned in the preparation of the SORB Reports in selected priority river basins in ASEAN countries; and
  3. Discuss strategies in promoting the wider application of the SORB in the ASEAN Region and its institutionalization as a regular reporting process for IRBM programs of national and local governments in the region.

Target Participants

  1. United Nations Development Programme
  2. Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat
  3. Chair of ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management
  4. Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
  5. 6 ASEAN Member States (Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam)
  6. RPMU (PRF)

Programme:

TIME AGENDA
Session 1: Launching of the State of River Basin Reporting System

  • Master of Ceremony: Ms. Orange Happee Omengan, Communication/KM Specialist
14:30 – 14:32 Preliminaries

  • Master of Ceremony
14:32 – 14:42 Introduction on the Guidebook for the State of River Basin Reporting

  • Nancy Bermas, Regional Project Manager, IRBM Project, PRF
14:42 – 15:00 Messages from Partners

  • Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
  • Dr. Nam So, Senior Environment Officer, Environment Division, ASEAN Secretariat
  • Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chair and Director General, Department of Water Resources, MONRE, Lao PDR
  • Mr. Thiv Sophearith, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
  • Mr. Bui Ngoc Anh, Director, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Quang Nam, Viet Nam

Group photo
Session 2: State of River Basin Reporting: Establishing the Baseline and Mechanism to Track Progress in the Source-to-Sea Continuum

  • Chair: Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
15:00 – 15:05 Introduction to the Session

  • Dr. Akiko Yamamoto, Regional Team Leader, Environment Team, Asia and the Pacific, UNDP, Bangkok Regional Hub
15:05 – 15:15 Overview of the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project and the State of River Basin Reporting

  • Ms. Nancy Bermas, Regional Project Manager IRBM Project, PRF
15:15 – 15:25 Developing the SORB Reporting System – Process, Challenges and Lessons Learned (Regional Perspective)

  • Dr. Pham Ngoc Bao, Deputy Director, Adaptation and Water Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
Developing the SORB Reporting System – Process, Challenges and Lessons Learned (National/River Basin-level Perspectives)
15:25 – 15:35 Kampong Bay River Basin, Cambodia

  • Dr. Hin Lyhour, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia
15:35 – 15:45 Nam Tha River Basin, Lao PDR

  • Dr. Keoduangchai Keokhamphui / Mr. Thanongxay Douangnoulak Department of Water Resources, Lao PDR
15:45 – 15:55 Imus-Ylang Ylang-Rio Grande Rivers, Philippines

  • Ms. Anabelle Cayabyab, Head, Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, Cavite, Philippines
15:55 – 16:05 Pasac-Guagua Watershed

  • Ms. Irene Marie Villar, Assistant Department Head, Provincial Government-Environment and Natural Resources Office Pampanga, Philippines
16:05 – 16:15 Open Forum
Session 3: Interactive Discussion

  • Chair: Mr. Oudomsack Philavong, AWGWRM Chair and Director General, Department of Water Resources, MONRE, Lao PDR
16:15 – 16:20 Mechanics, objectives and expected outputs

Chair
16:20 – 17:00 Interactive Discussion

  • What needs to be improved in the SORB reporting process: experiences from baseline SORB report development
  • How do we institutionalize the SORB reporting as a regular process for IRBM programs of national and local governments
  • How do we replicate and promote its wider application in the ASEAN region

Facilitators:

Group 1:

  • Dr. Hin Lyhour
  • Mr. Chandath Him

Group 2:

  • Dr. Keoduangchai Keokhamphui
  • Mr. Ben Patrick Soliguin

Rapporteurs

  • Ms. Nancy Bermas
  • Ms. Daisy Padayao
17:00 – 17:20 Presentation of Group Outputs

  • Rapporteurs
17:20 – 17:30 Wrap-up and Synthesis

  • Chair
23 August, 2024