Prof. Asit K. Biswas, President and Academician, Third World Centre for Water Management, Atizapan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico, will share his thoughts on how the world’s water management must and will change in the next twenty years. His talk will discuss current water management systems for megacities like Bangkok, Delhi or Manila, among other hot topics concerning trends in global water usage.
This special lecture is open for students, staff and faculty members of AIT, other universities and research organizations, as well as to government agencies and private/consulting companies.
Friday, 10 July 2009
10:00-11:30 AM
AITCC Auditorium
Abstract:
The world is changing very rapidly, and with it the landscape for water management in Asia will change as well. The future water problems of the Asian countries and their solutions will be very different than what have been witnessed in the past. There will be new drivers of change which the water sector are ignoring at present, and also new emerging trends which are not being adequately considered. New drivers like globalization, free trade, information and communication revolution, technological developments, considerations for food, energy and environmental securities will bring new challenges and opportunities for the water sector. Even the traditional drivers like urbanization and population will bring new types of problems. For example, a major problem the Asian countries will face is the rapid growth in ruralisation (that is settlements of 2,500 people or less) and how can these very disperse areas be provided with water and wastewater management services? Similarly, while the world is now concerned with the water management for megacities like Bangkok, Delhi or Manila, the real problem will come from small- to medium size town (say between 20,000 and 500,000) which are growing at three times the rate of megacities, but has very limited political power, technical and management expertise or funding to solve their water problems. In other words, the problems we shall face will be of wholly different nature compared to the existing ones.
The main thesis of the lecture is that the world of water management will change more during the next 20 years compared to the past 2000 years. While historical knowledge will be useful, identification and solution of the emerging water problems will require additional knowledge-base, innovative approaches and new skills. Tomorrow’s water problems can no longer be identified, let alone be solved, with today’s paradigms, yesterday’s knowledge-base and day before yesterday’s experience.
Under these challenging conditions, how should universities and research centres change to cope with the massive uncertainties associated with water management for the future?
About Prof. Asit K. Biswas:
Prof. Asit K. Biswas is now universally acknowledged as one of the world’s leading authorities on water management. He is the Founder and the President of the Third World Centre for Water Management in Mexico, and Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School for Public Policy in Singapore. Formerly a Professor in UK, Canada and Sweden, he was a member of the World Commission on Water, and a founder of the International Water Resources Association and World Water Council. He has been a senior advisor to 18 governments, six Heads of the United Nations Agencies, Secretary General of OECD, NATO, and many other major international organizations. He is a Past President of the International Water Resources Association, and the International Society for Ecological Modeling. He is the Founder and Co-Chair of the Club of Tokyo.
Prof. Biswas is the founder of the International Journal of Water Resources Development and has been its Editor-in-Chief for the past 24 years. He has been the author or editor of 69 books (6 more are now under publication) and published over 600 scientific and technical papers. His work has now been translated into 33 languages.
Among his numerous prizes are: the two highest awards of the International Water Resources Association (Crystal Drop and Millennium Awards), Walter Huber Award of the American Society of Civil Engineering, Honorary Degree of Doctor of Technology from University of Lund, Sweden, and Honorary Degrees of Doctor of Science from University of Strathclyde, Helsinki University of Technology, and Indian Institute of Technology. Prof. Biswas received the Stockholm Water Prize for “his outstanding and multi-faceted contributions to global water resource issues,” as well as the Man of the Year Award from Prime Minister Harper of Canada, and the prestigious Aragon Environment Prize of Spain.
For Inquiries:
Dr. Mukand S. Babel at 02-524-5790,
Mr. Aldrin Rivas at 02-524-6599 or 085-211-7500