Japan should contribute to world water management: 2011 white paper+

TOKYO, July 31 Kyodo -
Japan with its advanced water management technologies should make a greater global contribution amid more frequent droughts, heavy rainfall and flooding due to the warming of the atmosphere, said a government white paper released Sunday.
Around 900 million people in the world did not have access to clean drinking water as of 2008, with droughts hitting China and Russia, and flooding in Australia in the short period after 2010, the 2011 white paper on water resources said.
''The problems will possibly affect Japan through exports of agricultural products from those countries,'' therefore it is necessary for the country to expand the scope of international cooperation in water management at various levels, including central and municipal governments as well as private businesses, it said. Private-sector water business is also included in the possible areas.
The paper, compiled by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, said Japan can utilize its official development assistance program to help countries and people to secure safe drinking water, maintain public sanitation systems and prevent flooding.
As models for future cooperation, it mentioned bilateral talks on projects to build sewage systems and stable water supply systems that the central bank has engaged in with countries such as Vietnam, Saudi Arabia and China.
It also mentioned the city of Kitakyushu's technical cooperation on Cambodia's water systems and the city of Kobe's assistance to local private companies in expanding their water businesses overseas, adding such cooperation would also boost Japan's local economies.
On domestic issues, the paper said the country needs to craft a comprehensive management policy for water resources including rainwater and groundwater as gaps have emerged in the availability of water among regions.