by Subhadeep Dasgupta

Created on: December 12, 2008

On 19th November 2008, Reuters reported stating that "China to spend $3million On Water Projects". The Vice Premier of China, Hui Liangyu quoted "Our target is to enhance the safety of key reservoirs by 2010, provide qualified drinking water for all rural residents by 2013 and complete the construction of water-saving facilities for large-scale irrigation areas across the country by 2020".

This statement clearly demonstrates the steps undertaken to curb the serious issue of Water Crisis. China like most of the other emerging Asian countries is facing perennial droughts and floods. Extreme weather conditions and global weather anomaly has led to serious concerns on their food and livestock industry. Water deficits and unmanageable water consumption has impacted to the growth on grain imports in China and rest of the South Asian countries like India. Even, the ground water levels have fallen enormously in these countries due to widespread over-pumping of water using powerful diesel and electric pumps. However, China and many other nations who are facing water shortages are looking upto primary water treatments, secure septic systems and carefully analyze wastewater outfall design to minimize impacts to drinking water and to ecosystems.

Israel, Singapore, Australia and many other countries are setting up desalination plants and reverse Osmosis process to use sewage and waste water.

Many International Corporate giants like Coca Cola Company have started with water replenishment programmes all across their worldwide manufacturing units after their pledge in 2005 to save water. Coca Cola Company published their "Replenish" report on January 2008 exemplifying Coca Cola's present and future framework on water sustainability. It describes 100 water recycling projects run across 49 countries in various stages of implementations. In India and China to name a few upcoming water conservation projects, Coca Cola Company has initiated with Rain Water Harvesting, Recharge Shafts for Sustainable Groundwater and Yangtze River Conservation; which implements in best management practices for water usage and water stewardship among industries and other water users throughout the basin through venues and Yangtze Forums. Coca Cola Company is promoting Freshwater Conservation and Sustainable Water Use in Canada and North America also.

Nestle, on their annual report for 2007, claimed that it uses the water in similar ways as consumers do in kitchen. Nestle has focus to reduce amount of

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