Working on clean water for Asia
There is no doubt that water availability in the 21st century is proving to be a major issue for well-being and stability in societies around the globe. The Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM), representing a dialogue between EU and Asian nations, encouraged sustainability through science and technology (S&T) exchanges outlined by the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). This was realised through the EU-funded project 'Multi-stakeholder platform for ASEM S&T cooperation on sustainable water use' (Asemwaternet). The project sought to meet commitments of the EU's Water Initiative and Millennium Development Goals for safe drinking water, building a platform to further research on integrated water resource management. It hosted a project in Asia on river-basin management, efficient water use in agriculture, soil erosion, floods, water pollution and governance to strengthen the links between knowledge and action. Asemwaternet brought scientists from different fields together with government stakeholders, private sectors and community representatives to further its aims and undertake various initiatives in this direction. Through improved networking and proposal of new solutions, coupled with a powerful dissemination plan for project results, new best practices and concepts have emerged to promote sustainable water use.
