Introducing KnowledgeHubs: Knowledge Networking for Water Security in the 21st Century
- The Challenge
- The Region’ Strengths and Weaknesses
- The Asia-Pacific Water Forum:
A New Approach - Introducing KnowledgeHubs
- Priority Water Topics For Knowledge Hubs
The Challenge
The social, economic, and environmental future of the Asia-Pacific region largely hinges on how well water is managed in coming years. Economic development, rural-to-urban migration, greater industrial demand for and pollution of water, and other drivers of change have increased competition for clean water in the region. Meanwhile, however, climate change has made rainfall harder to predict, and floods and droughts are on the increase. The region is in urgent need of updated solutions—and more water professionals to implement them.
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The Region’ Strengths and Weaknesses
As daunting as these challenges may seem, the region’s diversity and its rich history of experience with water have given it the expertise to resolve its water problems. For example, between 1990 and 2002, an additional 35% of the total urban population of the Asia-Pacific region—over 368 million people—gained access to improved drinking water services. With existing knowledge, experience, and technology, the water problems of Asian and Pacific countries can be solved.
Despite many local success stories across the region, however, the need for better knowledge sharing and knowledge generation remains acute. If the Millennium Development Goals are to be achieved and the new challenges of water security in the 21st century addressed, the region’s knowledge on key water topics must be better leveraged and communicated among individuals, groups, organizations, and countries.
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The Asia-Pacific Water Forum: A New Approach
Created in 2006, the Asia-Pacific Water Forum (APWF) is an independent, not-for-profit, nonpartisan, and nonpolitical network dedicated to improving sustainable water management by championing best practices, boosting investments, building capacity, and enhancing cooperation throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Developing knowledge and lessons—APWF’s Key Result Area 1—is central to the APWF approach.
UNITY IN DIVERSITY
Through a commitment to cooperation and solidarity, APWF aims to capitalize on the diversity of Asian and Pacific experiences with water issues to accelerate the integration of water resource management into the socioeconomic development of the region.
AN INCLUSIVE STRUCTURE
Recognizing the synergy that takes place when knowledge is shared and not merely transferred, APWF ensures inclusiveness, openness, and flexibility through a highly participatory bottom-up approach. Activities are supported by a light managerial and administrative structure overseen by APWF’s Governing Council, a three-person body that operates by consensus. All governments, local and municipal authorities, knowledge institutions, civil society organizations, and media with an interest in water are welcome to join.
A COMMITMENT TO ACTION
At the first Asia-Pacific Water Summit held in Beppu, Japan on 3–4 December 2007, APWF member governments, ministries, and other participants pledged to improve governance, efficiency, transparency, and equity in all aspects of water management, particularly as it impacts poor communities. In addition, they unanimously agreed to reduce by half the number of people without access to basic sanitation and safe drinking water by 2015 and aimed to bring that number to zero by 2025.
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Introducing KnowledgeHubs
KnowledgeHubs is the APWF’s network of regional water knowledge hubs. Each hub is a center of excellence committed to improving water security in the Asia-Pacific region by promoting knowledge sharing and championing feasible solutions for its priority water topic. Together, the hubs collaborate to generate and share knowledge and develop capacity in more than a dozen water knowledge domains.
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Priority Water Topics For Knowledge Hubs
- Urban water management
- Disaster risk reduction and flood management
- Water and climate change adaptation
- River basin organizations and management
- Water quality management in river basins
- Decision support systems for river basin management (hydroinformatics)
- Water governance
- Irrigation service reform
- Integrated water resources management in Central Asia
- Integrated water services and resource management in the Pacific
- Erosion and sedimentation in river basins
- Healthy rivers and aquatic ecosystems
- Groundwater management
- Transboundary water resources management
- Sanitation
- Water supply for rural areas and small towns
- Water and energy
