In the past decade the Asia-Pacific region has become the largest consumer of natural resources in the world. This includes water, raw materials and energy resources. Water resources are unevenly distributed in the region. With climate change increasingly causing drought and precipitation, enhanced water efficiency and management is a challenge not only for direct water users, water managers and policy makers, but also for business and consu...

Energy eciency in Asia selected countries

Water withdrawal by Industry sector in selected Asian countries

Average water consumption and water treatment facilities in selected Asian cities

Extreme vulnerability to natural hazards among countries in South Asia is cyclical and repeatedly causes major setbacks in the socioeconomic and equitable development of the region. According to UN estimates major disasters may cut the GDP of countries in the region by up to 20 per cent. Climate change is expected to increase both the frequency and magnitude of hazards leading to disasters. It calls for speedy action to help communities...

Proportion of population using an improved sanitation facility in Asia

Ecological water footprint of Asian countries

The withdrawal of water for irrigated agriculture has caused a social and environmental crisis in the Aral Sea Basin. Drying up of the sea has been accompanied by a wide range of other environmental, economic and social problems in the basin. The problems precipitated by this crisis have aggravated the social and economic difficulties caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union. Following the break- up of the Soviet Union the interests of Up-strea...

All the Balkan countries are now committed to the European integration progress, with the goal of joining the European Union. They must consequently accept the acquis communautaire and transpose it into their national legislation. One major challenge – and not just for new member states – is the Water Framework Directive, which introduces new rules for water management hinging on transboundary river basins.

Prior to 1992, there were only six transboundary river basins in the Balkans, but after the break-up of former Yugoslavia, the number more than doubled. There are now 13 internationally shared river basins and four trans-boundary lake basins. Such a fragmented situation means that new international legal regimes specifically for water basins need to be worked out. Talks between the countries concerned are also essential to develop future policies...

The graphic shows the effects of the shrinking of the Aral sea, and related issues, on both population migration, and environmental impacts in other areas. It also shows other water problems that could lead to tensions and conflicts.

A qanat is a water management system used to secure reliable water supply to human settlements or irrigation in semi-arid and arid regions. Probably originating in Persia, the qanat system has been adopted and developed further in large parts of Asia and Europe. Its widespread use is refected in the many names for the system and similar systems; kariz/kahan (Persian), khettara (Morocco), galeria (Spain), falaj (United Arab Emirates and Oman), ...