Report of the Policy Dialogue and perspectives from PoDIWM project

  Policymakers in the central government, academic experts, and major city administrators in target countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam)
  Guest speakers and experts from the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Indonesia (Co-representative of the project), ASEAN Working Group on Waste Resource Management, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Japan

  NIES and the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Indonesia are jointly carrying out to lead the "Policy Dialogue and Network Building of Multi-stakeholders on Integrated Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management in ASEAN Countries" (hereinafter referred to as "JAIF-PoDIWM Project") to contribute to water environment conservation in Southeast Asian countries since July 2018 with the contribution of the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).
  As part of the project, an online policy dialogue meeting was held with Policymakers in the central government, academic experts, and major city administrators from the project target countries. At the policy dialogue, based on the results of a fact-finding survey in the project countries regarding the legislation, budget securing, and technological feasibility for domestic wastewater management, the participants identified areas in need of improvement and resource investment. Besides, policy recommendations were made to achieve long-term goals (e.g., strengthening the connection to sanitary wastewater treatment) in relation to Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all in Sustainable Development Goals.
  The progress and results of discussions in each country encouraged the participants to agree on the necessity of a common regional format for the introduction, dissemination and establishment of decentralized wastewater treatment systems at the ASEAN regional level, and will continue to work closely with the ASEAN Secretariat.
  NIES will continuously contribute and support the improvement of domestic wastewater treatment technologies, systems, and institutions in the ASEAN region through the implementation of the JAIF-PoDIWM project and other relating research activities as a responsible research institute for water resource management and pollution control in the Asian region.