Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, an FAO Special Goodwill Ambassador for the Asia-Pacific, has called for more action to counter the threat of water scarcity and implement better water management systems across the region.
Her Royal Highness made her appeal as a special guest of honour at the Asia-Pacific World Food Day Observances at the Asia-Pacific headquarters of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangkok on Monday.
"Today, nearly 2.5 billion people live in water-stressed countries. Competition over this priceless resource makes the problem more salient as freshwater becomes less available. Yet it is critical to producing more food for our region's growing population," she said.
"This is a call to action. We must not leave anyone behind. We must begin to better manage -- and share -- our water wisely. We must produce more food with less water. And we must make sure that water is distributed equally so that food security is ensured for everyone," the princess added.
Water resource management experts have warned that competing demands for access to fresh water in the Asia-Pacific region are intensifying. This, they say, could have dire consequences for the region's massive agriculture sector and, ultimately, could interrupt regular and affordable access to food for millions of people in the region.
In the Asia-Pacific region, some 90% of freshwater is consumed by agricultural activities, considerably more than the 75% used by agriculture, on average, worldwide. Three-quarters of the region's water is insecure, with more than 90% of the region's population already facing an imminent water crisis.
Water demand is on the rise due to population and economic growth, urbanisation, and demand for more water-intensive agricultural products, while freshwater supplies are decreasing, also due to a rapid escalation in water pollution and the impacts of climate change.
"We know that ensuring the sustainable use and access to our precious freshwater resources is key to achieving the overall 2030 agenda for sustainable development," said Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Director-General and FAO Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, during the event's opening remarks.
"Unfortunately, we are far off track in that regard. Water scarcity is increasing at an alarming rate," he said.