ADB warns of water access in Asia-Pacific

Around 300 million people in the Asia-Pacific region have not had any improved access to water, the Asia Development Bank (ADB) said on October 2 (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the Asia Water 2018 forum in the Philippine capital city of Manila, ADB President Takehiko Nakao added that 1.7 billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

According to ADB estimates, water demand in the Asia-Pacific region is poised to grow by more than half by 2050, leaving up to 3.4 billion people facing water insecurity.

Moreover, in 2016, the ADB said disaster-related losses in Asia totalled 87 billion USD, of which about 25 percent was connected to flooding. What’s more, over the past 20 years, Asia has incurred half of the estimated global economic cost of water-related disasters.

The ADB President noted that innovations and new technologies can provide the means to help developing member countries advance their water management effectiveness, including river basin management, flood control and water pollution, and service delivery such as water supply, sanitation, and irrigation.

Themed “Information, Innovation and Technology”, the Asia Water forum was attended by more than 800 participants including government officials, water and development professionals, and representatives from the private sector, academia, and civil society.

Since its founding in 1966, the Manila-based bank said it has spent a total of 45.88 billion USD on water projects.

ADB’s active water sector operations amount to nearly 14 billion USD and an additional 14 billion USD is planned until 2020./.

VNA