There is a critical need to properly address water supply and sanitation in Asia, as the lack of adequate waste management policies and infrastructure improvements is impacting many watersheds. This session featured discussions on water treatment for water supply, and energy generation from waste, including biogas from sludge digestion.

Water-based energy generation systems such floating solar photovoltaics (PV) offer great opportunities for the clean energy transition in Asia. This session included deliberations on how to scale up floating solar PV technologies supported through favorable policies and delivered at competitive prices, while minimizing environmental and social impacts.

Presenters in this session examined efforts to make hydropower more sustainable, including improved basin planning and management, and the study of environmental flows (EFlows) as a way of mitigating the effects of human developments on rivers and estuaries, and thus managing water resources for long-term sustainability.

As populations continue to grow rapidly across Asia, it is important to discuss how to improve the sustainability of irrigation while also improving overall agriculture production, in order to meet growing demand. Presenters in this session focused on solar-based and grid powered irrigation and will highlight energy-saving mechanisms for groundwater pumping and water transmission, including efficient water use for irrigation.