It is an accepted fact that the fast and skewed urbanization process that is presently taking place in the WHO South-East Asia (SEA) Region is becoming a powerful agent of change and is accompanied with economic opportunities, environmental threats and health challenges.

Timor-Leste is a post-conflict country that gained its independence in 2002. More than 40% of its estimated population of 1 149 000 (2010) live below the national poverty line of less than US$ 0.88 per day, with 85% of them living in rural, and mainly subsistence agricultural areas.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi not only has the highest density of population in India but also has the largest number of people living in an urban environment, as approximately 93.7% of the population live in the city. The present urban scenario of Delhi has resulted from an allround increase in industrial units and vehicular traffic.

Water is crucial for development and for the well-being of people, as well as for achieving the national goal of "Gross National Happiness". Even though Bhutan has a fairly large quantity of fresh water it cannot afford to be complacent. The country faces a number of challenging issues in water resource management due to the expansion of industry and agriculture, and urbanization.