Earth Concern

“There is certainly a big gap between the scale of the water problems in the region and the effectiveness of policies to address them”. Mr Ravi Narayanan- Vice Chair- Asia Pacific Water Forum

Mr. Ravi Narayanan, the former Chief Executive of Water Aid International and currently, the Vice Chair of Asia Pacific Water Forum shares his views on water politics in Asia with Prabodh Devkota and Sabita Gyawali.

What are the major water related issues in Asia?

Without attempting to prioritize them the major water related challenges in the Asia Pacific region can be listed as follows:
1. The challenge of domestic water security in terms of the reliability, sufficiency and affordability at a time of increasing demand and rapid urbanization
2. The challenge of water availability for food security with unsustainable groundwater abstraction and the uncertainties caused by climate change
3. Unresolved and competing demands for water between sectors within countries and between states and countries
4. Shocks caused by floods and droughts.
Asia is one of the most populated regions in the world and trends show, in next couple of year’s population growth will be immense -do you see water as one of the major potential reasons of conflict and insecurity in Asia?

It is not just the increase in population but the increasing per capita demand for water caused by urbanization, industrialization and changes in food habits that is increasing water stress in the Asia Pacific region. It is certainly causing water insecurity and disputes; whether these will escalate to conflicts remains to be seen. Hopefully saner councils will prevail and methods for conflict resolution will be developed over the next few years to avoid this possibility.
As water expert, do you think countries in the region should have water security policies? What is water security policy?

There is certainly a big gap between the scale of the water problems in the region and the effectiveness of policies to address them. This remains an area of concern. Water security policies will need to develop optimum methods to preserve the water cycle which means more efficient use of water, recycling of waste water and the need to use river basins as a basis for planning for the use and allocation of water. These are complex processes and will need to use the best information that science can provide us to make informed decisions.
The water issues in Asia are said not to be scarcity of real water but the problems in governance and management? Do you agree and how to you justify this logic?

Certainly good governance and prudent and efficient management are necessary for any situation, but these alone cannot solve all the water related problems unless there is a wider public perception about the need for restraint in the use of water and the need for conservation. The amount of usable freshwater is limited and that realization is important in the minds of consumers and governments.
Water issues within the region such as among India, Nepal and Bangladesh or in South East Asia concerning to the Mekong River?

Sadly there is as yet inadequate political vision and will to consider the issues of water across transboundary river basins (even across provinces within countries). The number of good examples of river basin treaties are yet too few for a region as vast as Asia. This is true of South Asia, South-East Asia and Central Asia. This is born of historical circumstances and also because of a lack of accurate, timely and widely disseminated information on water availability across the major river basins in the region. There is much progress that needs to be made..
How do you rate SAARC and ASEAN’s initiative on water issues?

I do not think SAARC has yet brought about that degree of common concern and crucially trust among countries that is necessary for effective strategies and management for the waters of the region. For countries in the ASEAN region, especially the Mekong basin, understanding has to be reached with those countries containing the sources and headwaters of the great rivers both in south and South East Asia.
What will be the implication of climate change on water resources in Asia?
The impact of climate change should not just be assessed on it impact on the great Himalayan region and therefore on the flow of its rivers, which attracts the most attention, but also its impact on the vast rainfed Regions where intermodal uncertainties in rainfall patterns can seriously compromise food security. Climate science is still developing and more research and knowledge is necessary to be able to craft solutions to overcome these challenges.
What are your suggestions to keep water as a key regional priority?
The above are some of the challenges facing the Asia Pacific region and there is no substitute for serious political attention and cooperation (in science, pooled information and policy development) among the countries of the region which is precisely the purpose and aim of the Asia Pacific Water Forum.

Date: 2012, Jan, 29^th

For your feedback: secretariat@earthconcernasia.com

Note: Opinions expressed in interview sections and individual write ups are of interviewee/ authors; Earth Concern facilitates to bring ideas and perspectives.