His Royal Highness, Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Chair of United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation (UNSGAB) welcomed participants to the Asian Dialogue on Water and Sanitation at the Taihu Basin Authority and thanked China for supporting the Dialogue. His co-hosts included H.E. Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources, the P.R.C and Ms. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, Vice President of the Asian Development Bank.

Prince Willem-Alexander said UNSGAB members were eager to learn more about the status of drinking water coverage, water management and sanitation in Asia. He explained that the Board would undertake its actions as set forth in the Hashimoto Action Plan to advance progress to the Millennium Development Goal targets in these areas. H.E. Mr. Chen Lei said China is on track to meet the MDG targets for water and sanitation by 2009 and he outlined the various levels of government intervention that has lead to this impressive result. Ms. Ursula Schaefer-Preuss said the ADB is doubling its financial allocation to the water sector demonstrating their commitment to meeting the MDG targets in Asia. Delegates from 10 countries, including ministers from China, India, Pakistan, Philippines shared the main challenges and important achievements in each of their countries. Participants also heard a series of illuminating presentations made by officials of a women's non-government organization and a farmer on the status of drinking water delivery, rural sanitation, mother's water cellars and water users associations in China.

To set the context for the Dialogue, attendees learned about the action elements of the Hashimoto Action Plan - a global work plan to coordinate water and sanitation interventions named in honor of UNSGAB's first chair the late Japanese Prime Minister. In addition an overview of water and sanitation and the ADB's "business unusual" approach which shows that one dollar investment in water and sanitation will yield multiple benefits up to 34 dollars for each dollar invested.

Asia faces major challenges in providing drinking water and sustainable sanitation services with 667 million lacking access to safe drinking water and the majority of the world's 2.6 billion without access to basic sanitation living within this region. Asia's sustainable economic growth will be severely constrained if these challenges remain unmet. The Asian Dialogue recognized these challenges and discussed viable solutions and joint actions that could be undertaken. UNSGAB members asked: how can we most effectively support you to achieve the MDG targets in water and sanitation.

How the International Year of Sanitation (IYS) in 2008 can harness political will, to increase attention and action on providing sanitation services in Asia, was a centerpiece of the Dialogue. Participants stressed the need for frank dialogue on how the lack of water sanitation services for poor people, constrains development, impacts human health, and degrades ecosystems. The need for coordination among ministries with responsibility for sanitation was emphasized. The participants appreciated the adoption of the IYS in the UN General Assembly and expressed their commitment to implement concrete activities to improve sanitation in 2008 and beyond.

UNSGAB proposed Water Operator Partnerships (WOPs) as means to build the capacity and effectiveness of public water operators in the Hashimoto Action Plan and the ADB and participants expressed their support of this initiative. UN Habitat noted their commitment to support a global WOPs secretariat and offered their support to Asian countries. The fact that political will was at least equally important as financing to achieve the MDG water and sanitation targets was discussed. Participants discussed how tariffs could be a tool to ensure sustainability of water delivery. The importance of scaling up stakeholder involvement, though arrangements such as water user associations, municipal oversight committees or worker unions was discussed.

In terms of water and disaster, the challenges of flood control in many Asian countries and the important of better risk analysis was stressed. The fact that climate change will lead to an increase of water related disasters was noted, pointing the increased urgency of meeting MDG water and sanitation targets. It was agreed that responsibility for water and sanitation can not realistically reside with one ministry. That said, integrated water resources management and water efficiency (IWRM) plans can be an effective way to coordinate water management across jurisdictions. Participants expressed their intention to share their progress on IWRM Plans during the sixteen session of the Commission on Sustainable Development in 2008.

The Dialogue participants also endorsed an Asia-Pacific Water Summit in December 2007 in Japan which will gather top-level decision-makers to further catalyze political will.

All the participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the People's Republic of China for their expertise in hosting the meeting. Appreciation was also expressed to His Royal Highness, for his excellent facilitation of the Dialogue. Participations also thanked the Asian Development Bank for co-hosting the event.