News

By Anchalee Kongrut

Increasing strains placed on resources and the environment will compel Asia to join the global drive toward cleaner and sustainable economic activity.

The Asia-Pacific region might be entering a golden era, at least if you look at the forecasts by international organisations that praise the resilience of its economies. In its Asia Pacific Regional Economic Outlook released in May, the International Monetary Fund said Asia Pacific continued to be “the world leader in growth”, which it expects will reach 5.5% this year and 5.4% next year. For the World Bank, the outlook for developing East Asia and the Pacific is broadly positive for the next three years.

In fact, the astonishing transformation of the once conflict- and poverty-ridden region is still in its relatively early stages. By 2050, the Asian Development Bank forecasts that over 50% of global gross domestic product will originate from Asia Pacific, which will be home to half of the world population.

The figures certainly look impressive if business and investment appeal are the main criteria for success. But on the environmental front, the rising population, increased affluence and intensity of economic activity mean heightened demand for natural resources. People seem to forget that all this dizzying growth is taking place on the same stressed planet. “The question is whether nature and the ecology can handle such a sizable economy. [By 2050], GDP will be four times greater than the current rate. Demand for products such as farm goods will increase up to 70%. Do we ever wonder if we will have the resources to support such sizable demand?” asked Prof Jian Liu, chief scientist of the UN Environment Programme.

He raised the rhetorical question at a forum titled: “Can Asia be Smarter, Greener, Cleaner?”
Read more.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/1284311/cleaning-up-the-economy

Workers check on solar panels in Chuzhou in Anhui province of China. China is committing US$361 billion to renewable power generation by 2020.
Photo Caption:China Daily via Reuters

Wind turbines for generating electricity are seen in Guazhou in Gansu province of China.
Photo: Reuters

By Evelyn Anago

Climate change poses the most pressing threat to the world today, according to the 2017 Global Risks Report of the World Economic Forum. (Pacific island countries and the Philippines can attest all too readily to this, being among the countries most vulnerable to climate change.) GIZ is positioning itself strategically to be at the forefront of global action against climate change, especially because the German government and other commissioning parties expect it and other implementing organizations to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement with the most effective and efficient project approaches.

GIZ’s Climate Roadmap 2017-2021 was designed to guide the work of GIZ staff worldwide in the field of climate change to effectively meet and even exceed the expectations of our commissioning parties and clients.

How? The Roadmap states that we should play closer attention to developments in the sector; be more responsive to the specific needs of our commissioning parties and clients, such as through closer and more regular dialogues and learning exchanges, and align our work consistently with their policies, directions, and standards; enhance our ability to deliver through highly capable human resources; communicate our learnings and success stories more effectively with tangible and measurable data; and use digital technology to reach more people more effectively and efficiently.

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Link: https://dms.giz.de/dms/llisapi.dll?func=ll&objId=121420043&objAction=browse

By Evelyn Anago

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has revised its procedure for reviewing proposals for new and follow-on bilateral and regional projects, to ensure that its commissioned projects will most effectively and efficiently achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) according to the German government’s agreed development cooperation roadmap with each of its partner countries.

The new procedure started to be piloted on the 1st of June this year, and will be fully implemented on 1 January 2018.

The changes will require GIZ, in its project proposals and preliminary assessments, to clearly identify the contribution/s of the project to the SDGs; to offer BMZ two strategic options for project implementation at optimum effectiveness and efficiency; to provide more details on significant activities, milestones with timeframes, instruments, costs, and expected outputs and challenges; and to assign values to performance indicators, among other changes.

In the course of the implementation of projects, major cost deviations from the planned amount should also be clearly explained.

Read more.
Hyperlink: https://dms.giz.de/dms/llisapi.dll/api/v1/nodes/122364557/content?action=open&token=91179273%2F122364557%2F158787%2F18413%2F1fe748e2e7cbcb71e45d6210fce28335d2404013

How drones are helping Thailand’s water planning

Thailand, sun and the Mekong… Like many other rivers in this country in Southeast Asia, this idyllic waterway, with its temples and lush rice paddies, can rapidly turn into a threat. This is particularly true when the river floods following a drought and neighbouring reservoirs are breached as a result of poor maintenance. As fields and villages are inundated, the precious water required for survival cannot be stored for future periods of drought.

Management of such extreme weather events is all the more difficult because there is a lack of knowledge among the relevant authorities and because areas along the rivers are often inaccessible. In the past, this meant that reservoirs first had to be drained completely in order to identify potential damage.

So, since 2013, the Thai Government has been getting help from the air: on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), GIZ has been working with its partners to introduce drones in three water catchment areas severely threatened by climate change in order to monitor the state of rivers and reservoirs more efficiently. Data collected by the drones is then used to develop 3D models that enable experts to simulate the impact of future floods and to identify and carry out timely maintenance work on reservoirs.

Lessons learned with the approach are shared among staff at the water authorities, researchers and local people affected, in an attempt to secure long-term success with the restoration and maintenance of functioning ecosystems in Thailand. Guidance is also being provided in the deployment of drones: several hundred people are now able to pilot the devices and have received training in sustainable waterway management. The Ministry of Agriculture is now evaluating the potential for deployment of drones in water catchment areas.

Photo: Panellists at the dissemination workshop (Provincial Energy Offices of Nan, Rayong and Phuket, Ministry of Energy, Chiang Mai University, GIZ).

Setting renewable energy targets on a sound footing forms the core of Thailand’s sustainable development, and this will be implemented on the ground in each province and municipality.

‘Provincial energy planning is an important part of the national energy plan and strategy,’ said Krittiya Petsee, Policy and Planning Analyst at the Planning and Strategy Office (PSO) of the Ministry of Energy (MoE) at a workshop organised by GIZ and MoE.

The two have also collaborated in developing a solid methodology to support provincial energy planning. Renewable Energy Scenarios for three role provinces, namely Rayong, Phuket and Nan, have been analysed by the Fraunhofer Institute to showcase how provinces can reach high shares of renewable energy in their energy mix to mitigate climate change, provide a cleaner environment, and increase local value creation.

‘The RE scenarios helped us to implement RE projects in our provinces as they serve as a solid basis to acquire budgets and convince local governors,’ explained Phuket’s Provincial Energy Officer Wirot Damkong.

After developing the RE Scenarios, GIZ and Chiang Mai University supported the provinces in setting their RE targets and defining concrete actions to reach them.
GIZ and the Thai Ministry of Energy will build upon these achievements and roll out the approach and methodology to further Thai provinces, a move that has been welcomed by the Provincial Energy Offices thus paving the way for further fruitful cooperation.

For further information, please contact Katrin Lammers.

Learn more about the project here.

The ASEAN region took a step towards more fuel-efficient transport during a productive 2nd Forum of the ASEAN Fuel Economy Platform, held on 28 March in Bangkok. The event brought together nearly 50 experts from all 10 ASEAN countries, the ASEAN Secretariat, universities, NGOs, and international organisations. The Fuel Economy Platform aims at supporting the drafting of a regional roadmap on fuel economy, focusing especially on the light duty vehicle fleet.

The experts discussed how ASEAN countries could become global leaders on fuel economy if suitable policies are introduced and enhanced at the national and regional levels. The forum also reviewed inputs for a draft vision as well as goals and milestones for the roadmap; identified knowledge gaps and barriers; and strategised on enhancing coordination within and across governments, the private sector, and civil society.

The forum launched a week of activities culminating in the 2nd meeting of the ASEAN Expert Group on Sustainable Land Transport (EGSLT). The EGSLT leads implementation of sustainable transport activities under ASEAN’s Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan 2016—2025.

Contact: Friedel Sehlleier at friedel.sehlleier@giz.de

Learn more about the project here.

Deploying smart energy solutions is no longer only a hardware but much rather also a software and business model challenge. Prices for new energy sources have come down significantly over the past years and while in the past reducing the cost of hardware was in the focus, in the future it will be about tapping the (digital) potential to reach customers and provide solutions. Now the buzzwords are Demand Side Management, Smart Grids, Blockchain and IoT, and many more.

GIZ, a state-owned company supporting the German Government in reaching its sustainable development goals, aims to bridge the digital gap and raise awareness of software potential for smart energy solutions in Southeast Asia. In order to work towards this vision, GIZ in collaboration with CalCEF/New Energy Nexus, TechGrind, CU Innovation Hub, and KX, is hosting the Smart Energy Hackathon Southeast Asia this coming September 8 – 10, 2017 in Bangkok. It is a software developing competition to identify talents and bring new digital technology innovations to solve current energy challenges. The Hackathon constitutes the kick-off for a larger support program aiming to create a smart energy software ecosystem in Southeast Asia.

The Smart Energy Hackathon features a 10,000 USD cash prize to winners. In addition, incubators may offer funding and incubation programs to the most promising teams post-event. This Hackathon is not exclusive to hardcore coders, it invites startups, coders, software designers, data scientists, and energy professionals to collaborate and compete for innovating solutions. There will be experts from different fields from designer to the energy sector to provide mentorship throughout the event.

Here are some noteworthy highlights:

1. $10,000 total cash prizes (1st $4,000 | 2nd $3,000 | 3rd $2,000 | People’s Choice $1,000)
2. Access to a rich network of clean energy incubators and accelerators
3. Explore incubation opportunities to accelerate your smart energy startup
4. Network with other like-minded professionals

Anyone brimming with ideas is encouraged to apply and this does not only apply to coders. You are invited to join the action with fellow innovators, while solving Southeast Asia’s energy challenges. Find all the details on our event website here or on facebook. And hack away!

This event wouldn’t be possible without our sponsors, if you are keen to get exposure for your company or put up a challenge yourself, get in touch regarding sponsorship opportunities.

On 02 May 2017, a Kick-off Workshop on the “Energy Master Plan for Ulaanbaatar City” study was organized in Mongolia. Different stakeholders from the energy sector of Mongolia such as the Ministry of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission of Mongolia, the National Dispatcher Center, relevant utilities of UB City, and representatives from international organizations, research institutions, private sector and NGOs participated in the workshop.

In his opening speech, Mr. T. Gantumur, General Manager of Ulaanbaatar highlighted the importance of the study in addressing the air pollution in Ulaanbaatar City. He said that this study was completely in line with the policies and strategies adopted in recent years in Mongolia and Ulaanbaatar City and assured the full support of the Mayor’s Office in successfully conducting the study.

The workshop is in the framework of the GIZ “Integrated Resource Management in Asian Cities: Urban Nexus Project” financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented jointly with the Municipality of Ulaanbaatar City. This study has been proposed by the GIZ Urban Nexus Project and will be implemented in 2017.

A number of different policies, strategies and actions have been adopted and implemented in Ulaanbaatar City in the past but have not been sufficient to solve the dramatic health and environmental problems. The implementation of short-term individual measures that do not form part of a comprehensive strategy with a clear objective will most likely have little impact.

There is a need for a substantiated analysis of all possible options for action and the identification of basic potential solutions for the systematic transformation of UB’s energy system. The focus should be on the heating sector. Only when it is clear what a sustainable overall solution should look like, even if this seems difficult to implement in the short-term, will a systematic and targeted transformation of the energy sector be possible. This transformation poses a major challenge given the cheapness of coal, the population’s income structure, the lack of technical know-how, the high percentage of informal housing structures, the hurdles to be mounted in any change to traditional heating concepts as well as the very low temperatures during winter (UB is the coldest capital in the world). However, there is no alternative if a broad and tangible impact is to be achieved.

The 2015 Green Development Action Plan for Ulaanbaatar foresees an increase in the percentage of renewable energies for energy production from 4.3 per cent in 2013 to 20-25 per cent by 2020. By 2030, renewable energies are supposed to reach 30 per cent.

During the Kick-off workshop, Gerhard Stryi-Hipp, Head of Group Smart Cities and Jan-Bleicke Eggers, Senior Researcher from Fraunhofer ISE (Institute for Solar Energy Systems), which will carry out this study, presented the expected outcomes.

The study aims to provide a comprehensive, impartial inventory of the initial situation regarding the demand for, the consumption of, the provision and the distribution of heat and electricity. Furthermore, estimates for future energy demand by determining and/or assessing development factors such as population and economic growth, increase in efficiency, building insulation, increase in comfort, etc. will be made. All technologically possible options for actions, which allow for a reduction of CO2 emissions and/or a sustainable and climate-friendly energy supply, will be assessed. The study will also elaborate options to achieve an optimized energy system primarily based on renewable energies. The master plan will point out possible alternatives including cost estimates and recommendations with a time perspective of up to 2050. This shall provide an orientation guideline as part of a long-term transformation roadmap to the government of UB, the Ministry of Energy and other institutions.

At the end of the workshop, a panel discussion tackled the issue of tariffs, costs and standards in connection with the use of renewable energies. The necessity of a consumers’ based survey with regard to the use of the renewable energy was mentioned. Moreover, it was stated that the timing horizon of 2050 should be phased, using 2030, 2035 and 2040 as milestones. The use of solid waste and waste water as additional sources for the energy generation were proposed.

Bangkok, 19-21 June 2017

Taking stock of lesson-learned and strategically getting things moving are key takeaways of the recently concluded SNRD Asia and TUEWAS Annual Face-to-Face Steering Group Meeting.

Convened on 19-21 June in Bangkok, steering group members of both, SNRD Asia and TUEWAS, discussed main issues concerning the two Sector Networks (SNs). In pursuing the topic of the day-to-day management and current status of SNRD Asia and TUEWAS, the meeting noted the good progress made over the past months with the set-up of a joint secretariat in Bangkok through the support of two full time national staff. The meeting was in agreement that the secretariat has institutionalized, to a good extent, matters related to SNRD Asia and TUEWAS, and was able to step up efforts to support its members in the region.

The assessment of the thematic foci of the WGs allowed to identify potential for collaboration within and across WGs and SNs, In addition, speakers of the WGs presented management practices regarded as effective to the meeting. Take for example, the use of Webinars or working with external partners. At the same time, aspects that should receive greater attention were also identified. A case in point was how to actively engage members and promote further involvement of national personnel. The secretariat will prepare a ‘roadmap’ outlining how to achieve this within the year.

Last but not least, the group started preparations for the next Joint Conference – to be held in the second quarter of 2018 in Bangkok! After much debate on the overarching theme, we are delighted to announce that ‘digitalization’ will be the central theme of the 2018 Conference. This very subject, which permeates all thematic areas of both SNRD Asia and TUEWAS and is aptly in line with GIZ corporate strategy, should set an exciting tone for our work and open up for unprecedented opportunities. Over the coming months the steering groups will jointly design the conference in more detail. Stay tuned for our updates on this!

The meeting has ended but our work has just begun. Stay tuned for what is to come regarding conference news and whatnot at www.snrd-asia.org or www.tuewas-asia.org

By Anusara Tanpitak
Public Relations Officer,
SNRD Asia and TUEWAS

When it comes to providing seamless support for our members working across the borders, the Sector Network Transport, Environment, Energy and Water in Asia (TUEWAS) is constantly on the look-out for room for improvement.

In our latest effort, the first exclusive TUEWAS online platform has just been launched. 1 June 2017 marked an important step towards greater digitalisation and outreach within and beyond TUEWAS communities.

Besides easy on the eyes, the new site is equipped with enriched content featuring all member projects/programmes and Working Groups, key components constituting this network of Asia-based professionals from GIZ in the field of transport, environment, energy and water.

As part of our long-term efforts to strengthen the existing network and knowledge sharing, the website is envisioned to serve as a cooperation platform and an information hub for all things related to TUEWAS and eventually lead to meaningful collaboration.

Among the many features, a so-called ‘library’ has been merged where searching for publications is made possible with just a click and a few ticks. We sincerely believe that if we are to benefit from knowledge, we first need to have an instrument that makes visible all that are available.

For any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments, please email us at tuewas@giz.de. Without further ado, let’s now log on to www.tuewas-asia.com to find out more.

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