This is why the United Nations now considers water to be a critical resource for sustainable economic development. The political visibility of water issues is bound to increase. Already there are eruptions of serious disputes within and among states over water. Population growth, widespread urbanization and industrialization are imposing intensified demands on water services and pressures on water resources. The growing imbalance between supply and demand has led to shortage and competition, and has resulted in pollution, environmental degradation, disease and hunger.

The threat before us all is immediate and compelling. It is in this context - of hope amidst a complex of problems that threatens to overwhelm if not addressed now with a sense of urgency - that I reach out to you all to be more caring, sharing and daring about our common vision of a world where absolutely no one - no man, no woman, no child, and community - is deprived of the simplest and most basic of all necessities: clean, potable water.

Southeast Asia regional overview My region, southeast Asia, is home to half a billion people. Its population growth is causing great anxiety for nations, leaders and citizens. As in other regions, it is poor people who are hardest hit by the problems of water shortage, pollution, floods and water-borne diseases. Inefficient governance, moreover, further compounds the problems.

Thus, strong leadership, steady political will, and stakeholders' commitment are important factors to actualize needed reforms in the water sector. Many leaders tend to give in to populist temptations - pseudo-leaders who always have their eyes focused on the next elections and who therefore allow artificially low water prices to prevail. Such leaders do their peoples great disservice.

The Philippine experience During my presidency from 1992 to 1998, we invested a great deal of time, effort and money in water conservation, management and utilization.

One such project - the newly-completed san roque multipurpose dam located in the provinces of pangasinan and benguet northern luzon - is the largest of its kind in southeast Asia. Started in 1996 to harness the waters of the great agno river, san roque dam with a height of 193 meters from the riverbed, will generate 345 megawatts of electric power, control flooding that annually inundates 125,000 hectares of densely-populated communities, and irrigate some 87,000 hectares of farmland.

At every stage of the project, we took every care to ensure the welfare of the indigenous communities who lived in upland villages close to the reservoir site. In this undertaking -- as in many other infrastructure programs -- the Philippines was greatly helped by official development assistance (ODA) from Japan.

Two other equally important water conservation projects have been completed on our main island of luzon: the angat-umiray and pantabangan-casecnan systems. In mindanao, two major water projects are 90% finished: the malmar irrigation and kabulnan irrigation networks. All these five major projects, started during my presidency, were the products of teamwork, tenacity and our common vision.

The Philippine government applied the "user's pay" principle, and also the "polluter's pay" principle was invoked, to reduce the pollution of water sources.

Summing up: protecting the water environment The complex nature of water resource management clearly requires a better integrated, approach in dealing with the interrelated issues of water supply planning, demand management, pollution control, and watershed protection.

Promoting community-based and communityoperated water systems where appropriate is always a sound policy option. Obviously, the environment must be protected and natural resources conserved.

Environment-friendly technologies must be identified and adopted; economic incentives must be given for the use - of pollution-control systems. The establishment of waste-water treatment facilities must be accorded top priority - for the minimization of waste generation, and the constant recycling and re-use of waste water.

Already, water is the single most important commodity of this new millennium. Water will be as basic to economic development in the 21st century, as oil was for most of the late 20th century. Water is everybody's responsibility. In this immense task that faces us, all sectors - governments, private business, civil society, local communities - must team up together to ensure the sustainable availability of clean water.

This culture of working together - which is deeprooted in humankind's communal nature - I call our caring, sharing and daring for one another. Caring and sharing are easy enough for most. But daring to sacrifice for the common good, daring to take concerted action to make a big difference - daring to do all these would be the supreme test of civic responsibility and of leadership, and the secret of a better quality of life for all.

Thank you.