At the beginning of the XXI Century there is a water crisis in East Asia. About one-third of the its population is living under moderate or severe water stress, lacking access to adequate supply of safe water and to adequate sanitation. Water pollution is continuing to cause millions of preventable deaths every year, especially among children. This is a consequence of a long history of excessive and inadequate use, pollution and contamination, and increasing demand. Besides, climate change also, to a certain degree, makes this situation even worse. The increasing economic development produced a rising demand for freshwater in very large quantities. In the next 20 years the rate of development will continue to grow. How to mitigate the increasing water crisis is a scientific, technological and managerial challenge.

To speed up the work of IAP Water Programme in East Asia, an international regional workshop - auspiced by the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS and IAP - was held in Beijing, 12-13 June, 2006 to disseminate the methodology, experience and knowledge, gained in the East Asia countries, to researchers and the relevant government agencies, so that all can benefit from the specific findings and methodology in dealing with the water crisis.