UNIDO ITPO Tokyo participated in Innovation in Water Management Show held at Tokyo Big Sight, 20-22 Nov. 2017.
Innovation in Water Management Show, an exhibition which focuses on water related business, was held at INCHEM TOKYO as part of six exhibitions that showcase leading technologies for the chemical & process industry. To present the current status on water management in developing countries, UNIDO ITPO Tokyo invited experts from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Myanmar along with a Vietnamese expert working in Japan. The representatives of the five countries actively engaged with Japanese businesses through a seminar and UNIDO ITPO Tokyo’s special booth, where they met and discussed individually with company representatives to further enhance bilateral relationships.
“A network with Japanese companies/universities and innovation are the two things I’d like to take back home”, said Mr. Meng Kro, Coordinator of JICA Environmental Protection in Cambodia. With the adoption of the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals), now over 70% of the urban population and 30% of the rural population have access to improved sanitation. For further advancement, Mr. Kro expressed that the people’s awareness on the importance of waste water management is crucial along with investments by Japanese companies. He also mentioned that he had an impression that Japanese companies are willing to modify the technologies in order to meet the needs of his country, including the costs.
Dr. Bipin Prakash Thapliyal, Director, Central Pulp & Paper Research Institute (CPPRI) of India also expressed much enthusiasm of being in Japan, networking with Japanese companies for specific technologies. “There is of course a language barrier with Japan but there are many technologies that are attractive. We will surely continue communicating with Japanese companies”, he said. “Even simple technologies would do”, added Dr. Thapliyal who is in search of technologies applicable throughout his country. Dr. Thapliyal also stressed that “what is important is that we allocate the right technologies at the right places”.
Mr. Nusa Idaman Said, Senior Researcher, Center for Environment Technology Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) also agreed that the technologies that he would like to take back to Indonesia do not necessarily have to be as sophisticated. “Currently, a centralized system is employed in urban areas with high population densities but only in 12 cities with low service coverage of below 5%, while rural areas face other challenges. Therefore various needs exist in Indonesia. “In some areas, the cost may be of primary concern, whereas industry-based needs may focus on other elements”, added Mr. Nusa Idaman.
The negotiation booth for Myanmar attended by Dr. Than Than Thwe, Director, Department of Urban and Housing Development, Ministry of Construction (Joint Secretary, Thilawa Special Economic Zone Management Committee) was busy. “The attention and enthusiasm of Japanese companies toward my country which I have witnessed through this exhibition is more than expected” said Dr. Thwe, who introduced the current status and implementation approach for the wastewater management of industrial zones in the Yangon region during the seminar. “Taking care of the wastewater management is important so that there is no suffering in the future”, added Dr. Thwe.
For Vietnam, a jointly prepared presentation with Dr. Nguyen Viet Anh, Director, Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, was delivered by Mr. Mguyen Thanh Trung, Assistant Manager, Environmental Business Division, Water Business Headquarters, NAGAOKA International Corporation. During the seminar, the Vietnam water industry was introduced as an industry currently in its intensive development period with expansion of service areas, improvement in service quality and with various stakeholders involved. Vietnam is, therefore, not an exception when it comes to much eagerness to collaborate with Japanese companies for further cooperation.
Outline
| Date | November 20 (Mon.) － November 22 (Wed.), 2017 |
| Venue | TOKYO BIG SIGHT (Tokyo International Exhibition Center, Japan) East Hall 1-3 |
| Organized by | The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan (SCEJ) Japan Management Association (JMA) |
| Planning Support by | UNIDO ITPO Tokyo |
| No. of visitor visited | 19,908 (as INCHEM Tokyo) |
