Asia's Next Challenge: Securing the Region's Water Future
by ENIE NDOH CECILE | April 17, 2009 at 8:13 PM
The global demand for fresh water is soaring as supply becomes more
uncertain. Water-related problems are particularly acute in Asia-the
world's most populous continent. As population growth and urbanization
rates in Asia continue to rise, stress on the region's water resources
will intensify. Climate change is expected to worsen the situation.
Experts agree that reduced access to fresh water will lead to a
cascading set of consequences, including impaired food production, the
loss of secure livelihood, large-scale migration within and across
borders, and increased geopolitical tensions and instabilities. Over
time, these effects will have a profound impact on security throughout
the region.
The report by Asia Society's Leadership Group on Water Security in Asia
considers the security dimensions associated with decreased access to a
safe, stable supply of water in Asia and provides a forward-looking
agenda aimed at averting a water crisis in the region. The scope and
scale of Asia's water problems demonstrate that no matter how we may
approach water resources-whether on the basis of quality and quantity,
or as the most potent manifestation of extreme climatic
events-hydropolitics is likely to be a growing force in Asian security
that will require a broader understanding of and strengthened
institutional capacities for water governance. Join us as members of the
Leadership Group on Water Security discuss the report's findings and
recommendations.
To know more about this visit - www.wilsoncenter.org and if interested to follow the live webcast on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 from 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.,you will need Windows Media Player to watch the webcast.To download the free player, visit:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download.
