The FAO-ESCAP pilot project on national water visions. From vision ...

I. PREFACE
Malaysia is rich in water resources, whose development has been the basis for the socio-economic
development of the country over the past decades. Lately, the water supply situation for the country
has changed from one of relative abundance to one of scarcity. Population growth and urbanization,
industrialization and the expansion of irrigated agriculture are imposing rapidly increasing demands
and pressure on water resources, besides contributing to the rising water pollution. <strong>The</strong> way forward
to a prosperous and sustainable future is to keep development to a level that is within the carrying
capacity of the river basins while protecting and restoring the environment.
<strong>The</strong> objective of the water vision is to move from where we are today to where we need to be to meet
future water needs and ensure sustainable use of water. This exercise involves a process of study,
consultation and promotion which will develop knowledge at the national level, produce a consensus
on a vision for water for the year 2025, raise awareness on water issues among the population and
decision-makers and generate a framework for action. This framework will set the basis for the
development of a detailed action plan to help move from the concept outlined in the vision to tangible
results – making every drop count – which will make a real difference in people’s lives. It is a route
map to take us from our present situation to the vision for 2025.
<strong>The</strong> Malaysian water visioning process is undertaken by both the Malaysian Water Partnership
(MWP) and the Malaysian National Committee for Irrigation and Drainage (MANCID). MANCID
has conducted sectoral consultations with respect to water for food and rural development at both
national and regional levels. MWP is the national consultative body on the water sector and has
conducted a series of five national consultations on the water sector with respect to the mapping of
needs and the national water vision, global sectoral visions, the framework for action, gender and
water, and the realization of the national water vision.
This paper was prepared as part of the latest consultations organized in the context of the regional
<strong>FAO</strong>-<strong>ESCAP</strong> cooperation initiative to build on previous achievements of the national water visioning
processes to identify priority activities for national action and further regional cooperation in the
water resources sector. As a result, efforts are being made to incorporate the framework of action for
the realization of the national water vision into the future national development plan and other related
plans.
II. INTRODUCTION
Malaysia receives an average annual rainfall of 3 000 mm. Water resources development has been a
catalyst for the socio-economic development of the country during the past decades. Dams and
kilometres of pipelines and canals divert water from rivers to sustain domestic, industrial and
agricultural needs. Lately, the water situation for the country has changed from one of relative
abundance to one of scarcity. Population growth, urbanization, industrialization and the expansion of
irrigated agriculture are imposing rapidly growing demands and pressures on the water resources,
besides contributing to the rising water pollution. Water management is becoming increasingly
comprehensive and complicated due to large concentrations of population, commercial activities and
industries around the cities and towns, increasing water consumption, increasing water pollution,
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National water visions in Southeast Asia