This edition of the Asian Trends Monitoring Bulletin focuses on efforts and projects in building community resilient to climate change and natural hazards in the Southeast Asia. It discusses why, despite the recognition of the critical role of indigenous knowledge, policies and plans have failed to find a place for it in climate adaptation strategies in the region.

A huge population size, a rapidly growing economy and increasing levels of urbanization, coupled with the dwindling sources of freshwater, have made management of urban water supply one of the most important priorities in the development agenda of India.

This paper investigates the challenges faced by developing countries in relation to urban water supply and explores the issues in details with reference to four selected Asian countries: India, Philippines, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Population and economic growth are increasing the demand for water, while climate change, pollution and over extraction of groundwater are decreasing the world’s supply of fresh water. While technological and management reforms can increase supply, sustainable development calls for water conservation.