The Businessworld published on September 2, 2015 the article entitled, “Climate Change Adds to Asia’s Growing Water Crisis”. Several factors like rising populations, rapid urbanization, and competing demand for water for agriculture, energy, and industrial and domestic use have left water stocks in many Asia-Pacific countries in a critical state. Uncertainties from climate change present further threat.
Much of Asia’s water supply are used for irrigation but used inefficiently due to outdated system designs, institutional inefficiencies and weak governance. The projected climate change impacts to agriculture are: increasing frequency and severity of droughts, unpredictable rainfall; elevated temperatures which reduce yields; salination of groundwater in coastal aquifers and direct flood damage to crops.
The present El Niño episode is expected to be strong and prolonged and will continue to affect our water supply and agricultural production.
How could S&T intervene?
