Asia in the grip of water crisis: Asian Development Bank
Singapore (AFP) June 30, 2010 – Asia is in the grip of a water crisis that could set back the region’s robust economic growth if left unresolved, according to a top Asian Development Bank (ADB) official. Arjun Thapan, special adviser to ADB president Harukiko Kuroda on water and infrastructure issues, said governments must start managing the resource better to prevent the problem from worsening. “We certainly believe that Asia is in the grip of a water crisis and one that is becoming more serious over time,” Thapan told AFP on the sidelines of a water and urban planning conference in Singapore. “We believe that the estimate recently made about Asia having a 40 percent gap between demand and supply by 2030 is a reasonable estimate.” With 80 percent of Asia’s water used to irrigate agricultural lands, the shortage could have serious implications for food supplies, he warned. Between 10 and 15 percent of Asia’s water is consumed by industry. Thapan said that the efficiency of water usage in agriculture and industry has improved by only one percent a year since 1990. “It been business as usual,” said Thapan, a speaker at Singapore International Water Week from June 28-July 1. “Unless you radically improve the rate of efficiency of water use both in agriculture and in industry, you are not going to close the gap between demand and supply in 2030.” … Singapore’s National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told the conference Tuesday that about 200,000 more people every day move into cities and towns from rural areas. Every three days, the equivalent of a new city the size of Seattle or Amsterdam emerges, said Mah, adding that by 2050, 70 percent of the global population will be living in cities, up from 50 percent currently. … Of the 412 rivers in the Philippines, 50 are biologically dead, he said. Between 2.0 billion and 2.5 billion dollars is needed to clean up Manila Bay and Pasig River in Manila alone. … About 50 percent of China’s Yellow River is so polluted it cannot support agriculture, and over 50 percent of the surface water in the country’s Hai river basin is not fit for any use, Thapan said. …
