1、PrefaceAt the beginning of the 21th Century there is a water crisis in East Asia.About one-third of its population is living under moderate or severe water stress,lacking access toadequate supply of safe water and adequate sanitation.Water pollution is continuing tocause millions of preventable deat
2、hs every year,especially among children.This is aconsequence of a long history of excessive and inadequate use,pollution andcontamination,and increasing demand.Besides,climate change also,to a certain degree,makes this situation even worse.The increasing economic development produced a risingdemand
3、for freshwater in very large quantities.In the next 20 years the rate ofdevelopment will continue to grow.How to mitigate the increasing water crisis is ascientific,technological and managerial challenge.One of the efficient ways to pose this challenge is to establish international cooperationled by
4、 international organizations,as the water crisis is international.Launched in 1993,Inter-Academy Panel(IAP)is such a global network of the worlds science academies,aimed at the regional improvement of existing programmes on water conservation,wastewater treatment,control of eutrophication and contam
5、ination,as well as thedevelopment of strong scientific and technical capacities.Its Water Program is one of thefour themes in its 2004-2006 science agenda.With the Vice Director of Chinese Academy of Sciences(CAS),Prof.Chen Zhu beingthe Vice Chair of IAP,Chinese Academy of Sciences has been paid spe
6、cial attention towater crisis problems in China and the world.As one of the sessionsconvenors,Prof.XIA Jun,Leading Professor on Hydrology and Water Resources,Director,Key Lab.ofWater Cycle and Related Land Surface Processes,Institute of Geographic Sciences andNatural Resources Research,Chinese Acade
7、my of Sciences attended the PreparatoryMeeting for the Regional Workshops of the IAP Water Programme at Adriatico GuestHouse,Trieste,Italy,May 28th and 29th of 2005.To speed up the work of IAP Water Programme in East Asia,auspice by Bureau ofInternational Cooperation,CAs and International Academy Pa
8、nel,an internationalregional workshop,entitled International East Asia Regional Workshop of Inter-AcademyPanel(IAP)on the Water Security to Climate Change and Human Activity,was held inBeijing,12-13 June 2006 to disseminate the methodology,experience and knowledgegained in the East Asia countries to
9、 researchers and the relevant government agencies toeach other and elsewhere,so that all can benefit from the specific findings and methodologyin dealing with water crisis.The workshop processed scientific exchange by oralpresentation,and two days and half-day water resources management cruise at Three-Gorge Dam to give up to 20 participants a demonstration and hands-on experience of the
