Supported by its Secretariat based at the UNESCO Office Jakarta and with contributions from its participating member states, the RSC has coordinated and implemented a wide range of initiatives, including research studies, technical projects, workshops, training courses and annual symposia, bringing together many specialists involved in water-related activities.

Within the framework of UNESCO IHP-VIII Strategic Plan (2014-2021) on “Water Security: Responses to Local and Global Challenges, UNESCO Office Jakarta in collaboration with local partners organized the 2017’s RSC meeting in Manila, the Philippines. The event marked the 25th anniversary of the RSC-SEAP. Following an established tradition of associating meetings of the RSC with academic exchanges and events, the 25th RSC-SEAP meeting was organized in conjunction with UNESCO-JASTIP (Japan-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Platform) Joint Symposium on Intra-Regional Water Security and Disaster Management.

Objective of RSC Meeting

The main objective of the RSC meeting was to report, evaluate, and review activities carried out within the framework of IHP in different countries of the region. The UNESCO-JASTIP Symposium featured a range of exciting scientific lectures and discussions as well as networking opportunities with experts, researchers and practitioners from the UNESCO-IHP and JASTIP networks. Scheduled in between these two events, a one-day field visit to Laguna Lake near Manila provided an opportunity to review and discuss local water management practices, including a visit to a hydropower facility.

Participant

Approximately 100 water professionals, experts, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers from countries across the region took part in the event.