Asian-Pacific experts have warned of greater challenges and a rapidreduction in water resources quality, along with changes in currentswhen water shortages become severe.

At the first session of theCouncil for Security Cooperation in the Asia Pacific (CSCAP) Study Groupon Water Resources Security that wrapped up in Hanoi on March 23,Swedish scholar Maria Larsson said that the Asia-Pacific, especially theMekong river basin, will lack water in the next decade due to currentutilisation and management of water resources.

At the two-daysession, other scholars warned that along with rapid urbanisation andindustrialisation processes, the increasing use of chemical fertiliserin agriculture and the discharge of untreated urban waste water directlyinto rivers have severely polluted surface and underground water.

Onthe other hand, they said, the plan to build dams on the Mekong river’smain currents will seriously change the river’s currents, reduce bymore than half the amount of silt running into the lower basin, destroythe biodiversity of the lower river basin and create other unpredictableeffects on the river estuary, they said.

Scholars said theinstitutional environment and current regional cooperation have so farfailed to ensure regional water resources security.

Theyemphasised the necessity for countries along the Mekong river toimmediately make public information on the utilisation of waterresources and share data on the river currents.

They also calledfor China and Myanmar’s early admission to the Mekong River Commissionas full members, for more effective cooperation.

A Thai scholarsuggested increasing ASEAN’s role in enhancing cooperation in protectingwater resources and bring the issue of protecting the Mekong river intothe ASEAN agenda.

Meanwhile, Japanese Professor MikiyasuNakayama said it was necessary to discuss water resources security atthe ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

Delegate of the Asia-PacificSocio-Economic Committee (ESCAP) of the UN Le Huu Ti said that ASEANshould play a key role at the Asia-Pacific Water Summit slated for 2012in Bangkok.

Delegates exchanged ideas on cooperation inprotecting the ecological environment and increasing the effectivenessof water resource utilisation, waste water treatment, and coping withthe impacts of climate change and rising sea level.

The US andAustralian scholars said that many lessons on sharing water resources inother regions can be applied to the Mekong river basin.

Thesecond session of the CSCAP Study Group will be organised in Cambodia bythe second half of 2011. It is expected to discuss concrete measures toenhance international and regional cooperation in protecting regionalwater resources./.