ASIA MUST TACKLE WATER SECURITY THREAT - REPORT

clipped from www.planetaazul.com.mx Claudia Parsons Asia may see more conflicts over scarce water resources in the coming years as climate change and population growth threaten access to the most basic natural resource, a report warned NEW YORK, US; April 23, 2009.- Water problems in Asia are already severe, with one in five people, or 700 million, not having access to safe drinking water and half the region's population lacking access to basic sanitation, according to the report produced by the Asia Society, a New York-based think tank. Population growth, rapid urbanization and climate change are expected to worsen the situation, according to the report, "Asia's Next Challenge: Securing the Region's Water Future." It said water disputes between hostile neighbours India and Pakistan and the complex relations governing the vast Mekong River, which is shared by China and its southern neighbours, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.