Representatives from national and local government agencies, universities, and scientific institutions from the Project’s six participating ASEAN Member States—Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam—and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers during the regional workshop in Depok City, Indonesia.
Orange Omengan/PEMSEA
Depok City, Indonesia — The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project, in partnership with the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, the Local Government of Depok City and the PEMSEA Network of Learning Centers convened the Regional Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting in Support of IRBM Program Development and Implementation, from 10–14 August 2026. The five-day workshop aimed to strengthen regional understanding and consensus on environmental monitoring and reporting approaches that can support IRBM implementation and State of River Basin (SoRB) reporting across the Project’s seven priority river basins.
Conducted in a hybrid format, the workshop brought together representatives from the six participating ASEAN Member States: Cambodia (Department of Water Quality Management, Ministry of Environment; Kampot Provincial Department of Environment); Indonesia (Environmental Control Agency, Ministry of Environment; Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, Institut Pertanian Bogor; Environmental Agency of Depok City; and Udayana University); Lao PDR (Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; and National University of Laos); Malaysia (Department of Irrigation and Drainage; Kedah State Water Resources Board; River Engineering and Urban Drainage Research Centre, Universiti Sains Malaysia); Philippines (Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer in Cavite; Provincial Government–Environment and Natural Resources Offices of Bataan and Pampanga; and Environmental Management Bureau Region III—Department of Environment and Natural Resources); and Viet Nam (Vietnam Environment Agency; Danang Department of Agriculture and Environment; and Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment). Technical experts from EcoFutures under the Alluvium Group facilitated the technical sessions.
The GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project Convenes Regional Workshop on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting
Orange Omengan/PEMSEA
In their opening messages, representatives of the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia and the Local Government of Depok City highlighted the importance of integrated river basin management, the use of monitoring information to support policy and adaptive management, and addressing river basin challenges across administrative boundaries.
“Through this initiative, we aim to strengthen integrated management of the Ciliwung River Basin—one of our country’s most vital yet challenged river systems—by promoting collaboration, knowledge sharing, and practical solutions for sustainable water and ecosystem management,”
said Mr. Tulus Laksono, Director of Water Quality Protection and Management, Ministry of Environment of Indonesia.
“Environmental monitoring should therefore not be regarded merely as the collection of samples and data. Monitoring results must be transformed into credible evidence that supports policy, adaptive management, accountability, and State of River Basin reporting,”
emphasized Mr. Noer Adi Wardojo, Acting Deputy Minister for Environmental Pollution and Degradation Control, Ministry of Environment of Indonesia, in his opening message.
“We all know that rivers do not recognize administrative boundaries. Pollution upstream will become a problem downstream. That is why IRBM is not an option, but a necessity,”
emphasized Ms. Agung Sugiharti, Expert Staff to the Mayor of Depok City for Economic and Development Affairs, in welcoming participants to Depok City.
Through technical discussions and regional knowledge exchange, participants reviewed the status of environmental monitoring, including strengths, gaps, and priority needs in the seven river basins; sharing good practices and exploring practical approaches to selecting indicators; learning how conceptual models can guide monitoring program development; and exploring the use of monitoring data for assessment and reporting.
As part of the Workshop’s knowledge exchange activities, a day was allocated for site visits which provided participants with practical examples of environmental monitoring and reporting in the Ciliwung River Basin. At PT. Century Textile Industry, participants observed the industrial wastewater treatment process and the Online Realtime Waste Water Quality Monitoring System (SPARING). Participants also joined representatives of the Sahabat Ciliwung Community for an educational rafting activity along the Ciliwung River, where they were shown how to conduct water quality testing and experienced water sampling firsthand, followed by a tree-planting activity. At PDAM Tirta Asasta Depok (Regional Water Utility of Depok City), participants visited Station 63 of the Online Water Quality Monitoring System (ONLIMO), one of 347 monitoring stations in Indonesia, which is an automated and real-time system that collects water quality data to support river monitoring.
Final sessions of the Workshop included the practical application of the Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework, using field visit experiences and observations as scenarios. Through group exercises and role-playing, participants identified priority environmental issues, selected indicators, and practiced presenting monitoring information clearly and concisely for decision-makers. Participants also shared environmental monitoring and reporting approaches in their respective countries, including how environmental incidents are managed and reported.
Participants from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Viet Nam during the workshops and site visits.
Orange Omengan/PEMSEA
The Workshop also featured a presentation by the Ministry of Environment of Indonesia on the Integrated Big Data for Environmental Quality for Pollution and Degradation Control through AI (IBEQ-AI), a national platform for environmental data and monitoring that integrates all of Indonesia’s environmental monitoring and reporting systems, databases, and online sensors using Big Data and AI. The final day introduced participants to the Freshwater Health Index as an approach for assessing freshwater systems that combines ecological indicators with the human and social dimensions of water security.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Yonvitner, President of PNLC and Director of the Center for Coastal and Marine Resources Studies, noted that river basins across the region face similar trends and pressures, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation among countries. He highlighted the role of State of River Basin (SoRB) reporting and relevant indicators in river basin and water resources management, and encouraged continued exchange through the PNLC and IRBM networks.
The Workshop generated a consolidated review of environmental monitoring across the seven river basins of the Project, considerations for monitoring program design and indicator selection, and practical insights on data interpretation and reporting. The discussions also provided technical inputs to the regional Guide on Environmental Monitoring and Reporting and associated templates, supporting the use of monitoring information for IRBM planning, adaptive management, and informed decision-making.
About the Project
Supported by the Global Environment Facility, the Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project is working to establish functional management mechanisms in priority river basins across six ASEAN countries to reduce pollution, sustain freshwater environmental flows, and strengthen resilience to climate change. The regional Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme Bangkok Regional Hub and executed by Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, in collaboration with ASEAN.
Words by Omengan, Orange, Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist for the GEF/UNDP/ASEAN IRBM Project