Promotion and Awareness
ADB Regional Journalist Workshop on Water Issues in Asia
5-7 February 2006
Bangkok, Thailand
Session Descriptions
INTEGRATED WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN ASIA
From drinking, cooking and for sanitation purposes to irrigating crops and providing a direct input to economic growth in manufacturing activities, water across Asia has multiple uses, multiple demands on it, and a wide variety of agencies and institutions responsible for it.
This session looked at how Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is being successfully implemented across Asia and how close Asian countries are to managing water in an integrated and participatory manner where the challenges of water supply, water scarcity, pollution and the degradation of watersheds and ecosystems are all part of the decision-making process.
The session also looked at the achievements of some Asian countries in moving towards IWRM, and addressed the main prerequisites for making IWRM work through to the essential roles of both government and civil society. Attention was also paid to the achievements of the Network of Asian River Basin Organizations (NARBO) which was initiated in 2003 by ADB, ADB Institute and the Japan Water Agency (JWA).
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WATER & AGRICULTURE
Agriculture is by far the world's biggest consumer of water, using around 70% of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide. Whereas a single person consumes an average of 150 liters of water per day, 2,000 to 5,000 liters of water per day is required to produce enough food to feed that person.
And with increased competition for water from cities and industries, it is also expected that water for irrigation will drop, with the International Water Management Institute predicting a global loss of up to 359 million metric tons in food production.
This session looked at how to generate "more crop per drop" in Asia's agricultural sector and how this will only be achieved through a coalition of all constituencies - from policy makers to community groups, farmers, scientists and water management specialists.
Specific country examples on effective irrigation and the introduction of new technologies, decentralization and greater incentives for farmers, the maximization of water use for agriculture, and the need for institutional reforms were cited.
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URBAN WATER SUPPLY - MEETING THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL TARGET
The 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goal target of halving the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water and improved sanitation is fast approaching.
Particularly focusing on urban water supply, this session looked at the best means of encouraging investments into the Asian water sector and whether the public or private sectors are best placed to deliver safe and universal water supply to Asia's cities.
The session looked at some of the private sector models from lease contracts to Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) projects and concessions; the distinction between private sector participation and privatization; and the important elements of a successful water utility from an independent regulator to individual leadership and an equitable tariff system.
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WATER & FLOODS
Flooding has become part of everyday life throughout Asia with the poor being the most likely to suffer. There are, however, benefits to the floods as well. Many communities in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand and the People's Republic of China have developed indigenous mechanisms to not only cope with flooding but to reap the benefits from them.
This session examined the importance of developing sustainable and long-term flood management strategies which recognize the benefits of floods and help alleviate its negative impacts. The session also looked at country experiences in non-structural approaches to flood management from education and training to soil and water conservation and improved flood forecasting.
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RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION
Providing water supply and sanitation services to rural areas remain difficult to accomplish without the concerted efforts of governments, the private sector and, more importantly, non-government organizations and other civil society groups. NGOs' role in forging cooperation within and across rural communities has always been essential to making water and sanitation sevices accessible to the rural poor.
This session focused on Gram Vikas, one of the largest NGOs in the state of Orissa, India and how it managed to equip 211 villages with toilets, bathrooms and three taps for each household.
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THE 4th WORLD WATER FORUM AND ASIA WATER WIRE
The 4th World Water Forum will take place in Mexico City in March 2006, with "Local Actions for a Global Challenge" as its theme. The forum argues that local actions are keys to generating concrete results that, when combined across sectors and regions, will move the world closer to meeting the water-related targets set by the Millennium Development Goals.
In this session, an overview of the forum, its objectives and expected results will be presented.
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