Asian Water Discussions in April and May

Dear China Environment Forum,

Our spring meeting extravaganza is continuing with double meetings in April and May! As usual, all of the meetings are at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC and they will all be webcast.

Our first April meeting is the launch of an exciting water security in Asia report published by Asia Society (April 22). The second April meeting on the 29th will feature Edward Yau—Hong Kong’s Secretary of the Environmental Protection Department—who will discuss new partnerships between Hong Kong and Guangdong on clean energy and cleaner production in the Pearl River Delta. This is a rare treat to have a high-level official from Hong Kong, so hope many of you can attend! Full invites for these two meetings are below and you can RSVP to cef@wilsoncenter.org (remember to note your affiliation).

Please Save the Dates for two May meetings—Promoting Sino-U.S. Cooperation on Air Quality, Environmental Health, and Climate Change (May 12, 9:00-11:00 a.m.); and Animal Investigators: Solving Illegal Wildlife Crimes and Saving Endangered Species in Brazil and China (May 20, 9:00-11:00 a.m.). Full information and RSVP links for these meetings are online and will be emailed out soon.

APRIL MEETINGS
Launch of the Asia Society Leadership Group on Water Security in Asia Report Asia’s Next Challenge: Securing the Region’s Water Future
Date and Time: April 22, 2009 (Wednesday); 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Location: Woodrow Wilson Center’s 6th Floor Auditorium
RSVP: cef@wilsoncenter.org
Speakers:
Saleem Ali, Visiting Fellow, Brookings Institution’s Doha Center; Professor of Environmental Planning & Asian Studies, University of Vermont
Suzanne DiMaggio, Director, Asian Social Issues Program, Asia Society
Geoff Dabelko, Director, Environmental Change and Security Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Jennifer Turner, Director, China Environment Forum, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (moderator)

The global demand for fresh water is soaring as supply is becoming more uncertain. Water-related problems are particularly acute in Asia—the world’s most populous continent. As population growth and urbanization rates in Asia continue to rise, stress on the region’s water resources will intensify. Climate change is expected to worsen the situation. Experts project that reduced access to fresh water will lead to a cascading set of consequences, including impaired food production, the loss of livelihood security, large-scale migration within and across borders, and increased geopolitical tensions and instabilities. Over time, these effects will have a profound impact on security throughout the region.

The report of the Asia Society’s Leadership Group on Water Security in Asia considers the security dimensions associated with decreased access to a safe, stable supply of water in Asia and provides a forward-looking agenda aimed at averting a water crisis in the region. Join us as members of the Leadership Group on Water Security discuss the report’s findings and recommendations.

For more information on the report, please visit AsiaSociety.org/water

This meeting is cosponsored by the Asia Society, Columbia Water Center, Asia-Pacific Water Forum and the Woodrow Wilson Center

Greening the Pearl River Delta
Speaker: Edward Yau, Secretary for the Environment Department, Hong Kong
Date and Time: April 29, 2009 (Wednesday); 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Location: Woodrow Wilson Center’s 6th Floor Moynihan Board Room
RSVP: CEF@wilsoncenter.org