World Water Day 2009
Sharing Water across Borders
22 March 2009
Waters that cross borders link peoples and civilizations.
More than 250 years ago, a wise scholar said that “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry.” And it is only in the last decade or so that we have begun to measure the cost of letting the well run dry. Climate change. Food security. Energy supplies. Ill health and epidemics. Endangered lives and livelihoods. These costs are and more are felt more often, and by more people, in recent years.
Managing the world’s water resources has become a crucial undertaking in the new millennium. The situation becomes more challenging when the resources being managed cross national or local borders, where one’s actions could spark conflict in a heartbeat and development is dependent upon resources not within one’s full control.
More than half of the world’s population—many belonging to the poorest groups— are affected by this scenario. They belong to the 145 countries that depend on the 263 transboundary lakes and river basins around world.
Fortunately, history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the more common response to resolving issues on managing these resources. Over the last 60 years, there have been more than 200 international water agreements, and all water disputes—about 37 reported cases—have been resolved through cooperation.
World Water Day 2009 is dedicated to sharing the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary waters offer to countries and communities.
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ADB is helping member countries that share waters find ways to cooperate in using and conserving these resources. Through its Water Financing Program (WFP), ADB provides investments and technical support to river basin projects involving transboundary waters, among them the following:
- In Central Asia, ADB has been supporting Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic in enhancing cooperation in water allocation and operation and maintenance of interstate water facilities in the Chu and Talas river basins.
- In Southeast Asia, ADB is assisting national and provincial agencies, the Mekong River Commission, and civil society organizations to strengthen cross-boundary collaboration in the management of the Sesan, Sre Pok and Sekong rivers shared by Cambodia, Lao PDR and Viet Nam.
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These stories, multimedia products, and projects are fostering better collaboration and partnerships among stakeholders in Asia’s transboundary waters.
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