ASEAN Working Group on Water Resources Management (AWGWRM)

Improved drinking water sources were available to 92% of the population in 2015, just within the target goal of improvement from 84% in 1990. However, in terms of reducing inadequate access to sanitation by 2015, the Philippines did not meet its goal of 79% improved sanitation from 1990 to 2015, having only achieved 74% from a baseline of 57%.
Project Concept 7 is one of the 10 project concepts in the ASEAN Strategic Plan of Action (ASPA) on Water Resources Management initiated by the AWGWRM. It aims to create and maintain a forum for water resource and environmental government agencies and NGOs and peak industry bodies and associations with an interest in water management issues throughout ASEAN. Its objective is to create awareness of key water resource management problems and to exchange information about generic solutions. The project is spearheaded by the Philippines through the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and supported by the ASEAN Plus Three (Japan, Korea and China). The NWRB is being assisted by international consultants from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
An ASEAN-Republic of Korea Special Cooperation project on Building Resilience for Sustainable ASEAN from Water-related Disasters was conducted from June 2016 to February 2017. The project aimed to share experiences and know-how of participating countries in coping with water-related hazards and disasters; present a policy-related agenda for a resilient ASEAN; and build regional cooperation in tackling water and water-related disaster issues from a policymaking perspective. The executive summary report was published in April 2017. The section on the Philippines was written by the NWRB and a consultant. Proposals to strengthen regional capacity and promote cooperation are to: (1) establish an ASEAN Community of Practice (CoP) dedicated to water-related disasters to facilitate regular exchange of knowledge and experiences among member countries, (2) develop and implement a programmatic capacity building program for ASEAN countries to build country level institutional and individual expertise, and (3) develop a regional database to serve as a repository of water related disaster programs/projects/activities being implemented in ASEAN countries for better knowledge management.
The NWRB organized a workshop in March 2017 in Manila. This was attended by 18 core middle to senior level officials from the water sector from seven ASEAN countries. The objective of the workshop was to provide a platform for key actors in the water sector in the ASEAN member states to exchange knowledge and experiences in implementing IWRM in their respective countries. Opportunities for sharing information on key issues were discussed and a communication plan was developed during the workshop.
Relevant to the AWGWRM activities, the NWRB had submitted three concept notes under Work Plan lll to the AWGWRM Committee and ASEAN Plus Three (AP3) Work Plan (2018-2022) for funding. The proposals are on: (1) IWRM and sustainable development, (2) Integrating climate change into water management planning, and (3) Best practices for inter-sectoral collaboration for integrated water resources management.
On 28-29 May 2019, the Philippines hosted the 19th AWGWRM Meeting in Panglao Island, Bohol. It was chaired by Ir. Hj. Abdullah bin Isnin, the Chairperson of AWGWRM and Deputy Director General, Department of Irrigation and Drainage, Malaysia while the NWRB Executive Director was elected as the Vice Chairperson. The Meeting noted the Philippines' presentation on the follow-ups/recommendations from the project wherein the NWRB will develop the concept notes into full proposals and submit them to AWGWRM through the ASEAN Secretariat for consideration and endorsement. During the meeting, an ASEAN-UNDP project awaiting approval from the GEF called Reducing Pollution and Preserving Environmental Flows in the East Asian Seas through the Implementation of Integrated River Basin Management in ASEAN Countries was presented. The approved priority river basins for the Philippines are the Imus-Ylang-Ylang and Pasac-Guagua Rivers (Manila Bay).