Background

ADB is organizing Asia Water Week 2013 to deepen and expand analytical work in Asia’s water sector to advance inclusive policy reforms and strengthen support to priority programs and projects. The analytical work will provide the basis for sustained public investment and increased mobilization of private sector investment and expertise.

Asia Water Week 2013 has for its overarching theme "Securing Water for All". The conference will cover crosscutting topics such as climate change, water-food-energy nexus, and disaster management as well as sub-sector specific discussions, including water supply and sanitation, water resources and environment, and agriculture and irrigation.

Objectives

The conference will enable participants, including clients, ADB staff and invited specialists, to exchange knowledge on water sector issues, technologies, and to identify clients’ emerging priorities. New water sector initiatives will be announced, water sector professionals and leaders recognized, and innovations in the water sector encouraged.

Thematic areas

Aspects of water security will be examined through three thematic areas:

Basin Water Management - involves river basin institutions, capacity development, benchmarking, and stakeholder participation processes. Asia Water Week will provide a forum for exchanging knowledge and experiences in improving the planning, conservation, development, and management of water, forest, land, and aquatic resources in the context of increasing water security in river basins.

Urban Water Services - includes water supply and sanitation, wastewater management, and flood risk management. Asia Water Week will focus on the key challenges facing the sector in the provision of water supply, sanitation and wastewater management services. Urban flood management, a perennial and growing problem, also needs to be addressed.

Rural Water Services - encompass irrigation, drainage, flood management, and water supply and sanitation services to rural communities. Asia Water Week will discuss ways to revitalize irrigation services to support market-oriented and diversified farms and to increase access to water supply and improved sanitation services for healthy and vibrant rural communities.

Pre-conference seminars and workshops

Water sector seminars and workshops will be held on 11-12 March (Monday-Tuesday).

Monday, 11 March

• FAO revitalizing irrigation workshops 8:00-12:00; 1:00-5:00
• water and adaptation interventions in Central Asia 12:10-12:55
• JP Morgan and Planet Water: Community-based approaches to alleviate water poverty (including youth-led workshop) 1:00-5:00

Tuesday, 12 March

• FAO-WB irrigation management modernization workshops 8:00-12:00; 1:00-5:00
• WRI Aquaduct workshops 8:10-10:00
• WWF stewardship 10:00-12:00
• Water utiliy: Reforms in Azerbaijan 11:00-12:00
• Water and adaptation interventions in Central Asia 12:10-12:55
• Alliance for Water Stewardship 1:00-3:00
• NUS participatory urban water management workshop 1:00-3:00
• WRI water quality trading workshop
• Presentation on World Water Forum 7 Korea 2015 3:00-5:00

Exhibition

The Asia Water Week trade exhibition and marketplace will showcase emerging water sector technologies, services, and management innovations from partner organizations and networks. The exhibition opens on Wednesday, 13 March, 12 Noon and will be open for the duration of the conference.

Participants

More than 500 participants consisting of representatives of ADB members, development partners, academe, research organizations, NGO/CSO representatives, private sector partners and the media are expected to attend.