SHAH ALAM - The collaboration between Malaysia’s Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) Sdn Bhd and the Baguio City Environment and Parks Management Office (Cepmo) has reached a significant milestone with the completion of their year-long mentorship under the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Water Organization Partnerships for Resilience (WOP4R) programme.
The programme’s success was marked by a closing ceremony held at ADB Headquarters in Manila. The initiative, which began in Nov 2023, focused on addressing Baguio City’s unique sewerage challenges by leveraging IWK’s expertise in connected sewerage systems.
The mentorship delivered transformative results, particularly in enhancing Cepmo’s readiness to implement improved sewerage management practices across the city.
The programme emphasised key areas such as sewage treatment plant process monitoring, sewer network maintenance, energy efficiency, staff competency and stakeholder engagement.
The collaboration included diagnostic visits, reciprocal learning sessions, benchmarking trips to Kuala Lumpur and on-ground information exchange in Baguio City.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IWK Narendran Maniam, expressed the company’s pride in mentoring Cepmo through this meaningful programme.
"It reflects our commitment to sharing our 30 years of expertise to help sewage utilities overcome their unique challenges and improve the quality of life in their communities,” he said.
The partnership culminated in the handover of operational Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and a Stakeholder Engagement Plan. It also featured a community awareness initiative with high school students in Baguio City, emphasising the importance of sustainable sanitation practices.
The Asian Development Bank, which facilitated the partnership under its WOP4R programme, hosted a closing ceremony where participants shared feedback and lessons learned.
Commemorative plaques were presented to both IWK and Cepmo ADB’s Director, Strategy and Partnerships, Water and Urban Development Sector Office, Satoshi Ishii.
He added that bridging Asia-Pacific's $1.14 billion annual funding gap for safe water and sanitation demands innovative solutions.
"ADB’s WOP4R has been leading the charge since 2006. Its 83 utility mentorships across 21 countries have sparked $1.1 billion in investments,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cepmo’s Wastewater and Hazardous Waste Management Division, Engineer IV Wilbur Suanding, highlighted the unique challenges posed by Baguio City’s highland terrain, where buildings perched on mountainsides demand tailored solutions.
"We are grateful that IWK has equipped us with the tools, knowledge and confidence to overcome these operational hurdles and improve the quality of sanitation services for the people of our city,” Suanding said.
ADB’s Principal Urban Development Specialist, Vivek Raman emphasised the programme’s broader impact.
"People learn from other people. The partnership between Baguio Cepmo and IWK exemplifies this. We look forward to the day that Baguio Cepmo will also be a mentor to other utilities,” he added.
This collaboration sets a benchmark for future partnerships under the WOP4R initiative, which fosters global knowledge sharing and technical guidance to promote sustainable development.
The partnership also advances global goals, including Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 for sustainable water and sanitation management and SDG 11 for inclusive and resilient cities.
IWK plans to continue its regional capacity-building efforts through its Asian Sewerage Training, Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence (Astrice), offering advanced training and mentorship programmes to address wastewater management challenges across the region.
This successful partnership highlights the transformative potential of regional collaboration, setting the stage for more effective and sustainable wastewater management solutions in the Asia-Pacific region.