ADB: In Asia, wealth buys access to clean water
(philstar.com) | Updated March 13, 2013 - 8:30pm
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Ninety-one percent of people living in Asia
have improved access to clean water, a remarkable achievement over the
last two decades in the world's most populous region. But its richest
countries and wealthiest citizens likely have better water supplies and
governments better prepared for natural disasters.
The assessments made by the Asian Development Bank in a study published
Wednesday say countries in the region could be disproportionally
affected by the potential impact of climate change if they did not
rethink how they manage their water resources. Nearly half of the deaths
caused by water-related disasters and 90 percent of people affected by
such disasters from 1980 to 2006 lived in Asia, the report said.
Developed nations like Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and Japan top
the list of nations best prepared to cope with floods, droughts,
hurricanes, storm surges and landslides, while Nepal, Laos, Cambodia,
Tajikistan, the Pacific nation of Vanuatu and Bangladesh are the least
prepared.
No country in the Asia-Pacific region is a model for its management of
water services and resources, according to the Manila-based lending and
development institution, whose aim is cutting poverty. Thirty-eight
developing countries have low levels of water security or have barely
begun to improve, and only 11 have set up infrastructure and management
systems.
"While the Asia-Pacific region has become an economic powerhouse, it is
alarming that no developing country in the region can be considered
'water-secure,'" said ADB Vice President Bindu Lohani.
Nearly 80 percent of Asia's rivers are in poor health. Urban populations
are on the rise and so is pollution, while food and energy needs are
putting more pressure on the water resources.
Unless these competing needs are balanced, "water security will remain
elusive, undermining development gains and the quality of life for
billions of people in the region, especially the poor," said Ravi
Narayanan, vice chair of the Asia-Pacific Water Forum governing council.
The good news is that the proportion of the region's population with
access to drinking water has increased from 74 percent to 91 percent
between 1990 and 2010. Progress has been made in all subregions expect
the Pacific, where access remains low at 54 percent.
However, access to reliable tap water supply paints a different picture.
Although more than 900 million people gained access to piped water, more
than 65 percent of the region's population does not have what should be
considered a secure household supply.
Most cities in Asia, which accounts for half of the world's 20
megacities, have extensive infrastructure for domestic water treatment
and supply, although piped systems often stop short of individual
households, and potable water services are not maintained full-time at
the point of delivery, the ADB said.
For instance, some cities in China and South Korea provide
round-the-clock water service, but in many other cities tap water is
only available for limited hours. In Jakarta, water is available in most
areas for about 18 hours each day, and in Chennai, India, water is
available for an average of only about four hours each day.
Then there is the question of health. About 88 percent of all diarrhea
cases are attributed to lack of adequate access to water and sanitation.
Although the percentage of people with access to improved sanitation
rose from 36 percent in 1990 to 58 percent in 2010, 1.74 billion people
in Asia and the Pacific continue to live without access to improved
sanitation. More than 792 million people still suffer the indignity of
practicing open defecation, and more than 631 million of these people
live in rural South Asia.
There are bright spots, with Southeast Asia making rapid progress,
expanding coverage by 23 percent between 1990 and 2010, and East Asia by
35 percent.
The gap between rich and poor is a big factor when it comes to water
access and management, the report said. In South Asia, led by
Bangladesh, it is estimated that up to 96 percent the rural rich have
access to sanitation, compared to only 2 percent to 4 percent of the
rural poor. There has been little progress on improving access to
sanitation in the Pacific islands, the ADB said.
"In Asia and the Pacific, the correlation between income and access is
unequivocal —the wealthy have better access than the poor to water
supply and sanitation. In addition, the disparity is growing, especially
in the burgeoning smaller cities across the region," the ADB said.
Differences between richer and poorer communities amount to 96 percent
in Nepal and 92 percent in Cambodia, India, and Pakistan, it said.
In India and the Philippines, another study by the U.N. Economic and
Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific found that public utilities
responsible for providing water and sanitation services "lack capacity
in all aspects of sustainability, including effective functioning,
financing, and demand responsiveness."
--
-----------------------------------------------------------
CARLOS ANI - Consultant
Chairman of the Board - SEEDFINANCE Corporation
Mailing address: PO Box 90 UPLB Los Banos Laguna, Philippines 4031
Emails: carlosani@gmail.com , carlosani@seedfinance.net
Landline Phone: +63495010127 (PLDT)
Cellphone Numbers: +63926-2778044 (Globe)
+63908-1737072 (Smart)
My Websites:
CARLOSANI.COM - http://www.carlosani.com
SEEDFINANCE Corporation - http://www.seedfinance.net
DEVJOBS - http://www.devjobsmail.com
PHILDEVFINANCE - http://phildevfinance.posterous.com
http://phildevfinance.blogspot.com
FORWARD PHILIPPINES - http://forwardphilippines.wordpress.com/
My News Clippings - http://www.myclipps.posterous.com
Family website - http://www.anifamily.net
Skype name: carlosaniph
----------------------------------------------------------
