Water discussions require the use of terminologies that will work across all other water sectors. Rewriting the “adequate, equitable, reliable” mantra to “defined and transparent” just might offer irrigation agencies a hope of meeting their performance targets, and farmers the potential to better utilize scarce and unreliable supplies.

Asia has significantly increased agricultural productivity and reduced poverty since the 1960s. Demand and supply growth trends, however, project future increases in real world cereal and meat prices; hence there is a need to improve policies and boost investments to achieve agricultural development and food security.

This presentation attempts the use of a crystal ball to gain insights into the three basic drivers that will determine the nature of future demand for irrigation services. It explains the dynamics in Asia of these three drivers, and concludes speculatively on their impact on the design and management of irrigation systems.

Recent irrigation trends in South Asia show signs of slowdown in groundwater use. This presentation examines the implications of this slowdown in private informal irrigation on farmers, and what this entails from the irrigation bureaucracies who may now find farmers develop renewed interest in their services.

Large scale irrigation systems (LSIS) play an important role in meeting Asia's food demands. Major changes, however, are needed to transform the LSIS to become more responsive to the needs of farmers and changing context of water delivery service.

Countries in the Asia and Pacific region are undergoing relatively rapid transitions from largely agrarian rural societies to increasingly urbanized communities. As Asian Development Bank and other development partners assist countries manage these transitions, rural development investments must adapt to the changing needs of both rural and urban communities.

Learn how human behavior analysis influences mobility and transport infrastructure. Find out how current technologies such as the Internet, GPS, and mobile devices enable greater and accurate data collection (compared to manual counting) that can assist in urban transport planning, particularly the design of complex transportation systems and reducing congestion.

Realization of a resilient, inclusive, competitive, and harmonious Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) by 2030 entails forming aspirations and meeting challenges. Overcoming the challenges, however, will require transforming the ASEAN Economic Community into a truly borderless entity. ASEAN should not merely copy the European Union, but strive instead to form a partnership for shared prosperity.

This presentation explains the purpose of organizing this event and in what ways the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s work differs from the rest. An overview of OECD’s global value chain (GVC) project is featured. It also covers GVC participation and how it is measured, and discusses the differences in countries’ experiences on GVC participation.

The Asia and Pacific region is party to 109 ratified free trade agreements, and with more being negotiated. The rise of mega-regionals suggests that the world trade system is fragmenting to appear more like a jigsaw puzzle than a spaghetti bowl. The time is ripe to seriously consider multilateralization of preferences.