Asia could face a severe water crisis in 20 years if dwindling resources are not used and managed efficiently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) warned Tuesday.
"Asia is in the midst of a ballooning water crisis that is likely to get worse if left unaddressed," said Arjun Thapan, a senior adviser at the Manila-based ADB.
"Per capital water endowments in countries are declining everywhere," he said on the sidelines of a five-day water conference in Manila. "This threatens food production... (and) also impacts on energy security."
More than 600 government officials and representatives from non-government organisations and private companies attended the ADB-organised conference aimed at finding solutions to the worsening water crisis in the region.
The ADB noted that growing populations, rapid urbanization and competing demand for water from agriculture, energy and industry and urban areas have left water stocks in many Asian countries in a critical state.
"By 2030, estimates suggest that there will be a shortfall of 40 percent between water supplies and demand in the region, with food production under threat and rising cross-border tensions over shared water resources in river basins," the ADB said.
The bank lamented that as freshwater stocks dwindled, water use in Asia was still marked by inefficiencies and waste.
It noted that leakage in urban water supply systems alone amounted to the loss of as much as 29 billion cubic metres a year in Asia, worth around $9 billion.
Thapan called for more participation of the private sector in running water utilities to help improve efficiency.
"Increased investments from the private sector, especially in managing and delivering water services and in using technology and innovation to reduce our water footprint, will be critical to securing a sustainable water supply," he said.