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Report of JSC Session at 3rd Asia-Pacific Water Summit
Session title: IMPROVING SANITATION AND WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT
Session date & time: Monday 11 December 2017, 15:30-17:00
Session venue: Sedona Hotel - Yangon, Myanmar
Session organizers: Japan Sanitation Consortium (JSC) in collaboration with
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT); Japan
Ministry of the Environment (MOE); Japan
Session chairs:
Session overview: The efforts to tackle the treatment and management of wastewater are insufficient, but the degree of priority for a policy promoting wastewater management was raised from the information shared during the session based on Japan’s and other countries’ experience, which emphasized on the fact that is essential to mainstream wastewater management.
The first half of the session consisted of 6 presentations describing the situation of sanitation and wastewater management in various countries as well as the approach and initiatives taken for improvement. The second half of the session was devoted to a panel discussion in which took place an active exchange of ideas around the concept of mainstreaming wastewater management promoted by the Asia Wastewater Management Partnership (AWaP), a new initiative launched by Japan.
Key messages from each speaker:
The main discussion points presented by each speaker and panelist are as follows: Opening remarks:
[Mr. Keiichi Ishii - Minister of Land, Infrastructure, transport and Tourism (MLIT); Japan] "It is essential to mainstream wastewater management for the achievement of the SDG target 6.3: ‘halving the proportion of untreated wastewater’. Japan solved the severe water pollution caused by rapid economic growth by the coordinated efforts of the public and private sectors. Such experience can be shared with the Asia-Pacific countries."
Keynote speech:
[Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili - Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water (KeTTHA); Malaysia]
"Malaysia has developed a water supply system and sanitation services based on National Master Plans and achieved a relatively high sanitation and wastewater service coverage. The countries of the Asia-Pacific countries need to collaborate with experienced countries such as Japan."
Presentation 1: Activities of Wastewater Management
[Dr. Aung Myint – Director; Ministry of Industry; Myanmar]
"The Ministry of Industry is in charge of the effluent control of distilleries in Myanmar, which is monitored by the Ministry."
Presentation 2: Institutional Framework for Sewerage Systems in Japan
[Dr. Seiichiro Okamoto - Director for Watershed Management; Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT); Japan]
"The Government of Japan established a regulatory and institutional framework for the improvement of the water environment which has resulted not only in a good environment but also in economic gains. Based on this experience, Japan proposes the establishment of the Asia Wastewater Management Partnership (AWaP) for promoting collaboration and information sharing among countries."
Presentation 3: Implementation of the Water Environment Improvement Project, Tau Hu-Ben Nghe-Doi-Te Canal
[Mr. Tran Huu Quoc Vi - Deputy Director; Water Environment Improvement Project 1 Division, HCMC Urban-Civil Works Construction Investment Management Authority-UCCI; Vietnam]
"The Ho Chi Minh City Water Environment Improvement Project funded by Japan’s ODA Loan has contributed to the reduction of flood damage, the improvement of the river water quality and the transformation of the river banks from slums to parks and highways."
Presentation 4: Expansion of Used Water Services under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Agreement in Metro Manila
[Mr. Mark Mulingbayan - Head of Sustainability; Corporate Operations Group; Manila Water Company, Inc.; Philippines]
"Manila Water Company, as the water concessionaire for Eastern Manila, applies a three stage development strategy for the sewerage system. As a first stage, regular desludging services for septic tanks, which 80% of residents are dependent on, were introduced in order to reduce the pollution load quickly. In the second stage, a combined sewer drainage system is being developed in order to collect domestic wastewater, using the existing drainage network, and treat it by newly built wastewater treatment plants. The third stage will be to cover all the residents by separate sewer systems by the end of the concession agreement in 2036."
Presentation 5: Development and Diffusion of Enhanced Communal Wastewater Treatment System with Innovative Appropriate Technologies-Based on Practice in Indonesia
[Dr. Nao Tanaka - Executive Director; APEX (Asian People's Exchange)]
"APEX (Asian People’s Exchange, a Japanese NGO), in collaboration with an Indonesian NGO, has developed a treatment process using a traditional anaerobic treatment method supplemented by an aerobic treatment method using the rotating biological contactor (RBC) technology, which is characterized as low cost, easy operation and maintenance and locally producible."
Presentation 6: Human Resource Development for Improving Sanitation and Wastewater Management
[Mr. Kazushi Hashimoto - Advisor; Japan Sanitation Consortium]
"In order to achieve the SDG target 6.3, a substantial number of wastewater professionals are required. Japan managed the shortage of professionals for the sewerage system in small and medium-scale municipalities by establishing the Japan Sewage Works Agency (JS). For decentralized wastewater management systems, the Japan Education Center for Environmental Sanitation (JECES) is the designated body for administering training courses and national examinations for the professional technicians required for the installation, maintenance and desludging works of Johkasou; Japan’s standardized on-site wastewater treatment system."
Above: Chairs, speakers and panelists
Panel discussion: (in addition to speakers)
The main questions around which the discussion was centered were:
- What can do each country and international organizations to improve sanitation and wastewater management?
- What are your thoughts on the way to collaborate with the Asia Wastewater Management Partnership (AWaP) and the Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA)? Key messages from panel discussion:
[Mr. Fany Wedahuditam]
"The Global Water Partnership can contribute to the improvement of wastewater management by joint training and joint research."
[Mr. Yasumasa Watanabe]
"The Ministry of the Environment of Japan is the secretariat of the Water and Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA). WEPA is instrumental for the development of legal systems in member countries. WEPA and the proposed AWaP will supplement each other."
[Mr. Mitsuo Kitagawa]
"Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aligns its operation to the SGDs. JICA will support capacity building for recipient countries in wastewater management through technical cooperation projects."
[Mr. U Ko Ko Lwin]
"Many Asian countries including Myanmar require external assistance from countries such as Japan and international organizations."
[Mr. Naoyuki Matsuda]
"Japan has achieved nation-wide wastewater management through the combination of centralized (sewerage) systems and decentralized systems (Johkasou). Johkasou can properly treat wastewater based on the regulations and qualification systems for the installation, operation and maintenance, including desludging. The Japanese experience will contribute to mainstream wastewater management in the region."
[Mr. Tran Huu Quoc Vi]
"The proposed AWaP is welcomed."
[Mr. Mark Mulingbayan]
"The proposed AWaP is an important initiative. It is essential to involve all the stakeholders in the sharing of knowledge and experiences in sanitation and wastewater management."
Key message of the session:
1. It is critical to promote behavior change, particularly to end open defecation and increase the acceptance of sewer house connection and septage management. Furthermore, special attention must be given to the poor who are often left behind in large scale efforts.
2. It is essential to mainstream wastewater management, to increase investments in for both off-site and on-site sanitation including septage management, to establish and enforce legal and regulatory systems for sanitation and wastewater management, and to address the insufficiency of human resources in sanitation and wastewater management.
3. In order to achieve all the tasks required to mainstream wastewater management, partnerships are essential to enable the sharing of knowledge, successful experience and good practices in sanitation and wastewater management. The acquisition of such knowledge can provide the tools for developing countries to tackle their sanitation and wastewater challenges in a shorter period of time than what has been required for developed countries. Therefore partnerships, existing ones for achieving the MDG sanitation target and new ones such as the Asia Wastewater Management Partnership as proposed by Japan, should be strongly encouraged. Collaboration with existing partnerships for water quality management such as the Water Environmental Partnership in Asia (WEPA) is expected to maximize the synergy effect that will contribute to solving water pollution problems in the region.