Land and water resources

摘要

Among the world's developing regions, Asia holds the dubious distinction of having the most serious problems with its water and land resources. Compared with Africa and Latin America, Asia has a lot less arable land per capita. A much larger proportion of its agricultural land is being seriously degraded and its forests are disappearing at the fastest rates. This paper takes stock of land and water resources of Asian countries, focusing on issues related to their efficient and equitable use and future sustainability. Land, as considered here, encompasses the soil and all of the natural resources of indigenous plants, animals and microorganisms, of which Asia is particularly well endowed. The region's rich biotic resource has been most effectively exploited to provide for local livelihood, from fishery to rice production and gathering of minor forest products. Local management has contributed to conservation in some places, but in many others local biodiversity is now under threat-traditional rice varieties have been disappearing from farmers' fields, and fishery resources are rapidly becoming depleted. Local conflicts over water have begun to flare up between upstream and downstream users, with potential for major regional ones over the major rivers such as the Mekong, as well as across sectors, including industrial and domestic use and agriculture. Lessons, experiences and understanding from other parts of the world should be fully exploited to help Asia sustainably manage its water and land resources efficiently and equitably. However, local research and development capacity will be essential to solve problems that are unique to the region.