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BACKGROUND |
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Southeast Asia has an average annual water resource of about 6,476 km 3 (1.45 m 3 per square meter of land area), about 15% of the world total, with Indonesia having by far the biggest amount (ASEAN, 2001). More than 90% of total freshwater withdrawals in the region go to agriculture, while the rest go to household and industrial uses. This proportion of water for agricultural uses is much higher than the global average of 70%. The volume of water actually available per person to use in 2000 was 4,900 m 3 , which is considerably lower than the potential resource of 12,900 m 3 , but is considerably higher than most of the Asia/Pacific Region (ASEAN, 2001). Given the tremendous importance of water resources in the region, there remains a serious inadequacy with regard to identifying, consolidating and integrating water resources issues within national and regional scales. Integrated water resources management (IWRM) is seen as a valuable approach for addressing water management issues at various levels. In areas where several countries and administrative regions have shared waters and/or rivers however, the application of, and the lessons learned from, integrated approaches and conflict resolution mechanisms are woefully inadequate. Actual IWRM practitioners and stakeholders, particularly those engaged in water management projects at the community and/or basin level, have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share in furthering IWRM knowledge and skills in the region. Some countries have likewise experienced notable achievements in incorporating new thinking and technologies into water laws and policies. Such success however may be compromised if such efforts are not replicated and complemented at the regional level. |
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Sekretariat Kemitraan Indonesia (KAI)
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Southeast Asia is one of water-rich regions of the world. It is also one of the most populated regions, with about 522 million in 2002 and annual population growth of 2.1%. Nearly 33% of the total population lives in urban areas, and urban population is further expected to increase by about 3% annually.