Bangkok--15 Dec--Asian Institute of Technology
Three in four nations in the Asia-Pacific face water security issues, and educational and research institutions can play an important role in contributing towards better water sustainability and environmental management.
This was the underlying theme of the day-long workshop organized by UNESCO-Institute for Water Education (UNESCO-IHE) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) on 9 December 2014.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Raza M. Farrukh of Asian Development Bank (ADB), elaborated on the critical situation of water security in the Asia-Pacific. Quoting from the ADB report “Asian Water Development Outlook 2013,” Raza Farrukh stated that water security has five dimensions including household, economic, urban, and environmental water security, along with resilience to water-related disasters.
Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, Vice President for Resource Development, AIT, and Dr. Zoran Vojinovic, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Water Systems, UNESCO-IHE, delivered the welcome address. Prof. Mukand Singh Babel, Director, Research Center for Sustainable Development in the Context of Climate Change (SDCC), AIT delivered the second keynote address on “Climate Change Impacts on Hydrology, Water Resources and Water Use Sectors: Cases from Asian countries.”
The three joint Master’s programs jointly offered by UNESCO-IHE and AIT — Urban Water Engineering and Management (UWEM), Agricultural Water Management (AWM), and Environmental Technology for Sustainable Development (ETSD) were introduced by Dr. Zoran Vojinovic, Dr. Sangam Shrestha and Prof. Ajit Annachhatre respectively. Dr. Gabrielle Groves, Head, External Relations and Communications Office (ERCO) and Prof. M S Babel hosted the morning and afternoon sessions. The workshop, hosted by AIT, also held two group sessions on addressing challenges of water, agriculture and environmental sectors; and capacity building needs of developing countries.
Photo caption: AIT Vice President Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto (let) honoring Mr. Raza M. Farrukh of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).