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The Asia and the Pacific Region accounts for about 36 per cent of global
run-off. Even so, water scarcity and pollution are key issues and the
region has the lowest per capita availability of freshwater: renewable
water resources amounted to about 3 690 m3 per capita/year in mid-1999
for the 30 largest countries in the region for which records are available
(UNDP, UNEP, World Bank and WRI 2000 and United Nations Population Division
2001). In absolute terms, China, India and Indonesia have the largest
water resources, more than one-half of the region's total. Several countries,
including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and the Republic of Korea, already
suffer from water scarcity or water stress. More will do so as populations
and consumption increase. Agriculture is the biggest consumer (86 per
cent), with smaller amounts going to industry (8 per cent) and domestic
use (6 per cent) (compiled from UNDP, UNEP, World Bank and WRI 2000).
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