Water is a basic need for all life, and water resources are facing more and increasingly competing demands. In 1992, the United Nations General Assembly declared 22 March of each year "World Day for Water". The observance of this day helps to create awareness about the conservation and development of water resources and the implementation of the recommendations of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, also called Agenda 21. This year, the World Day for Water will be observed under the theme: "Water for the twenty-first century."

Water is a limited resource

In a world in which it seems that nearly every natural ecosystem is under stress, freshwater ecosystems - the diverse communities of species found in lakes, rivers, and wetlands - may be the most endangered of all. Freshwater ecosystems are quite limited in extent, covering only about one per cent of the earth's surface. The majority of the world's population lives near and depends on freshwater environments, with most inland cities lying adjacent to a river or lake. Freshwater systems play a vital role in the lives of many people, providing a source of water, food and employment. These water sources are also rich in biodiversity. More than 40 per cent of the world's fish species and some 12 per cent of animal species reside in freshwater habitats. Rivers and lakes are also crucial as transportation and shipping routes, as power sources, and, unfortunately, as waste sinks. All of these human uses take their toll on freshwater ecosystems.

The scale and extent of human impacts on freshwater systems have risen sharply in recent years. Freshwater withdrawals from rivers, lakes, reservoirs, underground aquifers and other sources have increased more in Asia during the past century than in other parts of the world. From 1950 to 1995, water use in Asia increased by almost 300 per cent. This rapid rise in demand has resulted in the proliferation of dams and reservoirs and the channelization of rivers. Agriculture accounts for the major part of water withdrawals, mainly for irrigation. In the more industrialized countries agriculture accounts for up to 50 per cent of withdrawals, but this figure rises to more than 90 per cent in all South Asian countries except Bhutan.

In common with other parts of the world, the exploitation of water resources in the Asia and Pacific region has caused major disruption to river flow patterns. River levels and water tables are falling steadily and wetlands are increasingly depleted. Contamination by pollutants has seriously degraded water quality, reducing the amount of clean water available. In addition, rapid population growth has resulted in a decline in the annual per capita availability of freshwater in the developing countries of the region. Fortunately, however, across the region water resources remain significant.

Water resources under pressure

The region's water resources are under increasing pressure. Chronic shortages of freshwater of adequate quality are already being experienced in South and Central Asia. Most developing countries in the region have experienced growing water scarcity, deteriorating water quality, and sectoral conflicts over water allocation. Water quality has been steadily degraded by a combination of factors including sewage and industrial effluents, urban and agricultural run-off and saline intrusion. There is also good news, however: water supply coverage in Asia has reached 83 per cent of the total population. In the rural areas, about 77 per cent of the population now has some form of access to water supply. Globally, however, an estimated 1 billion people still do not have a steady and safe water supply.

Contaminated water and poor sanitation still cause more than 500,000 infant deaths a year in the Asia and Pacific region, as well as a huge burden of illness and disability. According to the World Health Organization, diarrhoea associated with contaminated water poses the most serious threat to health in the region and accounted for about 40 per cent of the total global diarrhoea episodes in under five-year-olds during 1990.

Demand for water will increase throughout the region as the century progresses. More countries are expected to be water stressed in a few decades. While agriculture will continue to use most water, freshwater demand is growing fastest in the urban and industrial sectors. As a consequence, a major freshwater issue in many countries will be how to allocate scarce water resources among competing sectors. Without better management practices, groundwater depletion is likely to be aggravated. The future quality of freshwater is one of the most pressing environmental problems in many parts of the region. Growing populations and water contamination from a wide range of sources imply reduced per capita availability in the future. The challenge will be to satisfy a wide range of demands with dwindling supplies, and to increase national, subregional and regional cooperation to avoid conflicts over the shared use of water resources.

Suggestions for action

Many people still do not have access to the clean water and food security which are basic human needs. Assessments confirm that pressure on water and land resources is rising dramatically, particularly in mainland Asia. Future freshwater problems have never looked more serious. Land issues are inextricably linked to water management at both national and regional levels. A holistic approach to the management of water and food requires:

* Water conservation
* Waste-water treatment and recycling, especially in urban areas
* Making full use of economic instruments that treat land and water as scarce economic resources that are part of the earth's natural capital
* Coordinating the management of land and water resources as closely as possible
* Reorganizing land and water management policies on appropriate levels, such as a river basin level
* More research on available resources, including environmental data and information
* Introducing the concept of shared and equitable water use to resource allocation strategies
* Passing legislation to enforce and update regulations on water use
* Implementing programmes to raise awareness among the public of the economic value of water as a precious and scarce resource
* Combating and alleviating the negative environmental impacts on fragile ecosystems that lead to land degradation and desertification

International cooperation needed

Finally, improved international cooperation on environmental issues is a prerequisite of the trend towards a more integrated water management approach. In addition, solutions to water resources issues can only come from cooperative action by all those involved: individuals, non-governmental organizations, industry, local and national governments, and international organizations.

For more information

This year, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is the focal point for worldwide activities on the World Day for Water. For further information, please visit UNESCO's World Day for Water web site at http://www.unesco.org/science/waterday2000/ or contact the ESCAP Secretariat, Environment and Natural Resources Development Division, Tel.: +66-2-288-1524, Fax: +66-2-288-1059, email: alradi.unescap@un.org. This information can also be found on the ESCAP web site at http://www.unescap.org.

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