Water Quality Management and Control of Water Pollution

In its recent examination of global water scarcity (1997) the United Nations system identified water quality as one of the key concerns in Asia in the next century. This concern is based on the fact that water quality degradation is so severe in many Asian countries that it is placing serious constraints on economic growth; it continues to be a serious problem for human health and it is causing widespread negative environmental effects. The problem of future management of water quality in Asia is a complex one, and requires re-examination of a number of key areas – including technical, institutional, legal and governance issues. Within this context, FAO organized a Regional Workshop on Water Quality Management and Control of Water Pollution which took place in Bangkok, Thailand from 26 to 30 October 1999. This publication contains the report and recommendations of the Workshop and the edited versions of 18 papers presented and discussed during the meeting.