Think differently about water - ADB President
NEW DELHI, India: It is critical that Asia's precious but
increasingly scarce water resources are managed in a coordinated way to
ensure the region has not only sufficient water but also enough food and
energy to meet its needs, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President
Takehiko Nakao said. "We need to think differently about water and its
uses for food and energy production - and take action," Nakao told
delegates in a keynote speech at the 14th Delhi Sustainable Development
Summit in New Delhi.
Asian Water Development Outlook 2013 notes that 36 of ADB's 48 Asian
member countries, including the People's Republic of China and India,
have poor water security, with some nations facing imminent water crises
that threaten their food and energy security.
ADB's Food Security in Asia and the Pacific publication calls for a
new approach in addressing malnutrition while the Energy Outlook for
Asia and the Pacific looks at the policy, social, infrastructure, and
technology issues affecting energy demand.
Nakao said it is critical to look at the links - or nexus - between
water, food, and energy.
Excessive groundwater has been extracted in some places because
subsidised energy allows for unrestricted use of electric power pumps.
This in turn threatens water shortages for farmers and a lower power
supply to other users. Such distorted pricing must disappear.
Meanwhile, rising energy use will squeeze already scarce water
resources since large quantities of water are needed for extracting
energy and refining fuels.
As 80% of water use is for agriculture, water shortages lead to food
shortages.
The region must change its mindset to understand that "food wasted is
water and energy wasted," Nakao said. He said river basin organisations
that gather users, utilities, and government representatives are key to
resolving competition between different users for water.
The ADB is working with such organisations to encourage collaborative
water management, set up new institutions with better data and
information, and encourage innovative technologies. These activities
help improve water security for more than 400 million people in around
30 rivers basins in the region.
The annual Delhi Sustainable Development Summit gathers policymakers,
experts, and leaders from business, academia, and civil society to
discuss sustainable development.
The event is organised by The Energy and Resources Institute, based
in New Delhi.
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