Tokyo - Government leaders from the Asia-Pacific nations on
Monday called for enhancing regional cooperation and commitment to
improve water management amid increasing natural disasters caused by
global warming.
The leaders gathered for the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in
southern Japanese city of Beppu, along with some 300 industry leaders
and environmental experts from the nations and territories in the
region, to discuss water-related issues.
'Tsunamis, floods, landslides, water-borne diseases and epidemics
are on the rise, not diminishing (in the region). With climate
uncertainties of global proportions, we all must be ready to float in
the same very large boat,' Palau President Tommy Remengesau said.
Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda expressed hopes for new
impetus in international environmental discussions.
The two-day summit will focus on water shortages, disasters,
sanitation and related issues. Fukuda said he hoped to take 'enormous
power and wisdom' from the meetings to the G-8 summit to be held in
northern Japanese town of Toyako in July.
Participants pledged to strengthen measures against water-related
disasters that are expected to increase as melting glaciers in the
Himalayas raise the sea level.
More than 80 per cent of the deaths caused by water-related
disasters in the world between 2001 and 2005 occurred in the
Asia-Pacific region, summit organizers said.
Some 700 million people live without access to safe drinking
water, while 1.9 billion people are without hygienic toilet
facilities in the region, according to the organizers.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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