Thailand urges Asia-Pacific states to help contain future water crises

BANGKOK, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra called on government leaders in the Asian-Pacific region to help contain critical floodings and water-related disasters which might possibly arise in the future.

In a key-note speech delivered to the Second Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Thailand's northern city Chiang Mai on Monday, Yingluck urged the government leaders in the Asian-Pacific region to join hands and prevent water crises which might otherwise recur and wreak havoc to the Asians who currently account for 60 percent of the world population.

The Thai lady prime minister announced that Thailand will fight flooding and water-related disasters which already incurred severe losses in lives and property to Thailand in 2011 as flashfloods and tropical rainstorms inundated large areas of the country's low- lying, riverside farmland and factories in Bangkok's outlying provinces.

"Economic prosperity of any country cannot be achieved without appropriate ways and means to cope with global climate change and water-related crises which might arise in any part of the Asian- Pacific region where one in five people is yet to have access to clean water," she said.

She assured that Thailand will play an active role alongside the Asian-Pacific community in taking steps to contain floodings and other water-related disasters. Such anti-flooding measures, according to the Thai leader, should include the reforestation and preservation of water sheds and reservoirs, particularly those in rainforest areas throughout the region.

The Thai lady premier called for the world community to take steps toward the reduction and containment of pollutions, critical climate change and global warming and to provide all the Asians an access to clean water.

She also suggested that the Asian-Pacific governments lay out effectual water management plans from upstream to middle-stream and downstream areas at national, regional and global levels as well as create prompt, precise weather forecast and warning systems with the use of appropriate, modern technology.

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