Focus: Living with Floods
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| Focus |
Water
Champion: Hamidur Khan on
coping with the worst of floods
The recent flooding in Bangladesh is among its worst. Death toll has climbed to over 700, and diseases have become rampant. The Bangladesh Government estimates total flood damage at about $6.6 billion. Hamidur Khan, an expert on Bangladesh floods, talks about the country's challenges in controlling and managing floods. |
Photo
Essay:
Living with floods on Tonle Sap Lake
Life
around Lake Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia's largest inland wetland, is intrinsically
linked to the annual cycle of flooding. The shifting of the lake's shoreline
has created a highly unusual living pattern for the lake's inhabitants,
characterized by houses on stilts, floating villages, and more. View the
images of
this extraordinary and harsh existence. |
New
ADB publication on floods and the poor
A new publication
from ADB, Floods and the Poor: Reducing the Vulnerability of the Poor to
the Negative Impacts of Floods, examines water-related disasters from the
perspective of affected poor households, and proposes ways to help them
cope with floods. Download
the publication or e-mail water@adb.org
to order the print version. |
Water
brief on floods
Water
briefs are short essays on water issues designed for a wide range of
readers. The water brief on floods advocates that total flood containment
is neither realistic nor desirable. The challenge is to develop innovative
flood management approaches that move from crisis management
to sustainable and long-term flood management strategies that recognize
the benefits of floods. |
ADB
forms unit to monitor flood threat in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
is in the midst of its worst flooding. In response to the worsening situation,
ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission formed
a Flood Monitoring Unit that will closely monitor the flood situation and
enhance ADB's readiness to respond to any urgent emerging disaster rehabilitation needs.
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| News |
SEAWUN announces inaugural convention on water and wastewater
The South East Asia Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) has released the first announcement, a calling for papers for its Convention on Water and Wastewater, to be held in Hanoi, Viet Nam on 9-10 March 2005. The convention is part of ADB's program of support for the network. |
Central Asian journalist workshop on water Issues to be held in Almaty
A media workshop, designed to increase the understanding of journalists in Kazakhstan on water issues affecting their country, will be held in Almaty on 27-30 September 2004. Participants will be added to the ADB Water Awareness Program's growing network of international journalists. |
NARBO gears up for its benchmarking program
The Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) will begin consultations to develop its program for benchmarking the performances of member river basin organizations. Performance benchmarking is a priority activity in NARBO's program of action for 2004-2005. |
Gender in Water Partnership in full swing
As part of the Gender in Water Partnership, the Gender and Water Alliance has just completed its gender scan of 20 water-related ADB projects from 16 countries. The partnership has also identified pilot activities and developed training programs and publications. |
ADB's Board approves Inspection Committee's recommendation on Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project in Pakistan
ADB's Board of Directors has approved the Board Inspection Committee's recommendation on the inspection of the Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project (Stage III). ADB will send a mission to Pakistan to work with the Government on implementing the recommendation. The inspection was initiated following a written request from several parties alleging that ADB failed to comply with its own policies in implementing the project, and that the failure resulted in direct and material harm to the residents in the project area. |
Preparing a rural development and drought mitigation project in Balochistan
A new ADB technical assistance (TA) grant to prepare a project to reduce poverty and mitigate the impact of drought in Balochistan, Pakistan will begin in October 2004. The TA will focus on economic and social interventions to increase rural incomes, create jobs, and reduce environmental degradation. |
Integrated strategy to help protect the PRC from destructive floods
Set to start this September is a new ADB technical assistance (TA) grant that will help protect the People's Republic of China from the destructive effects of floods by developing an integrated flood mitigation and flood management strategy. The TA, to be implemented by the Ministry of Water Resources, will balance both structural and nonstructural measures for flood mitigation and management. |
Providing affordable water services to Uzbekistan's urban poor
ADB has approved a $1.5 million grant to provide affordable water services for the urban poor and conserve water resources in Uzbekistan. The grant will help the poor residents in the cities of Djizzak, Gulistan, and Karshi obtain better yet affordable water services. Top
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| Videos & Publications | View more >> |
Videos
- Water Tomorrow (2003; 22 minutes)
Community organizers work to build public awareness to safeguard water resources and the environment in Kiribati and Tonga.
- Breaking Barriers (2003; 22 minutes)
A local nongovernment organization pioneers an effective scheme to bring clean water to Dhaka's slums.
- Viet Nam's Water Paradox (1996; 12 minutes)
Viet Nam's countryside suffers devastating floods due to typhoons, and its cities suffer chronic thirst for water due to an antiquated and dilapidated distribution system.
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Publications
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| 31 August - 3 September |
7th International River Management Symposium (Brisbane, Australia)
The symposium focuses on the world's best practices in river and watershed management. Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, ADB's Lead Water Resources Specialist, will speak on the importance of regional cooperation among river basin organizations. |
| 16-17 September |
International Conference on Financing Water Infrastructure in Russia (Sochi, Russia)
The conference focuses on the issue of financing water infrastructure in the region and on the role of capital markets in the development of water services. Stephen Wermert, Senior Structured Finance Specialist, ADB's Private Sector Operations Department, will be a speaker. |
| 19-24 September |
4th International Water Association World Water Congress and Exhibition on Water Management Issues (Marrakech, Morocco)
The Water Congress builds on the success of its previous congresses held in Paris (2000), Berlin (2001) and Melbourne (2002) and continues to take the lead in water management. |
| 21-23 September |
1st International Conference on Managing Rivers in the 21st Century: Issues and Challenges (Penang, Malaysia)
This conference focuses on current issues, problems, challenges and solutions relating to river management within the concept of holistic and integrated river basin management. |
| 27-30 September |
Central Asian Journalist Workshop on Water Issues (Almaty, Kazakhstan)
The workshop will increase the understanding of journalists in Kazakhstan on water issues affecting their country.
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| 28-29 September |
South East Asia Water Utilities Network (SEAWUN) Seminar on Full Cost Recovery (Bangkok, Thailand)
The workshop will enable Asian water utility officials and water practitioners to share common challenges, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to full cost recovery. |
| 28 September - 1 October |
International Water Management Course (Ruschlikon, Switzerland)
The course will guide the participants in applying methods that contribute to the development and implementation of sustainable water management practices. It will also provide specific insights on critical river management issues. Akmal Siddiq, Senior Project Economist, ADB's Mekong Department, will participate. |
| 30 September - 01 October |
Conference on Financing Municipalities and Subnational Governments (Washington DC, United States)
The conference will enable the participants to discuss new solutions to improve the financing options available for infrastructure projects in cities and towns of developing countries. Alfredo Pascual, Director in ADB's Private Sector Operations Division, Private Sector Operations Department, will be a speaker. |
Water for All News is produced by the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Water Awareness Program to provide current information to developing member governments, professionals, researchers, private sector, civil society, academe, and their counterparts in the donor community who are interested in water sector issues that affect the pace of development.
For comments or more information, contact water@adb.org
Disclaimer
The Asian Development Bank provides the information contained in this newsletter and links to its web site solely as a resource. While ADB tries to provide high-quality content on its web site, it does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of this information; and therefore, will not be liable in any capacity for damages or losses to the user that may result from the use of this information. ADB and its affiliate offices, likewise, will not be responsible for any errors, omissions, or inadvertent alterations that may occur in the disclosure of content in this newsletter or on its web site.
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