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Asia
Today, there are 16 Waterkeeper organizations in four Asian nations (Bangladesh, China, India, and Nepal).
Major Victories
Asian Waterkeepers have built solid programs and achieved significant victories on behalf of their waterways over the past five years. Yun Jianli, Middle Han Waterkeeper, operates the first non-governmental pollution patrol boat in China. Her constant presence on the Han River has helped local authorities detect and respond to pollution incidents more rapidly and thoroughly than ever before. In the one year since the boat was launched, the Middle Han Waterkeeper was instrumental in forcing a number of local factories to install improved wastewater treatment equipment, improving water quality in the river, and gaining the respect of local officials, residents and industry alike.
On the Yamuna River in Delhi, India, the Yamuna Riverkeeper successfully advocated for a halt to all construction on the Commonwealth Games Village near the Yamuna River. The decision by Delhi’s High Court took effect in December 2008.
Other Asian Waterkeepers, including those in China, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, have achieved impressive results on behalf of their waterways.
Main Threats:
The issues facing Asian Waterkeepers are typical throughout the
developing world: rivers used as dumping grounds for untreated sewage
and chemical waste from factories, massive dam and water diversion
projects, and inadequate supplies of safe drinking water. Climate
change will intensify pressure on Asian waterways, as the Himalayan
glaciers, the source of fresh water for over 1 billion people in Asia,
disappear over the next thirty years.
Waterkeepers India comprises 12 Waterkeeper programs on four rivers in northern India: the Ganga, the Yamuna, the Ken and the Betwa.