2.5 Socio-economic factors and policy environment

Policy formulations may be unfavorable in some countries for profitable intensi fication of rice fanning, e.g. policy on regulating the uses of water, fertiliz ers, pesticides. Inte-grated efforts of biological scientists are trying to ove rcome both the above biotic and abiotic factors. The social and political scien tists have to consider the adverse effects of socio-economic changes that may b ring about a decline in resource-based inputs essential for sustainable develop ment. The policy concerning water resources management gradually become a more and more important item on the agenda of legislators in every country.

3. ASSESSMENT OF WATER RESOURCE USE

Water, the most important limiting natural resource of the earth, was discussed by nu-merous authors of whom the reviews by Tsutsui (1992), a National Geograp hic Special Edition (Parfit, 1993; Conniff, 1993), Lanz (1995), Rosegrant and M einzen-Dick (1996), and Brown (1996) addressed heavily to the irrational water management and the scarcity of this resource. Most people used water but seldom had to think about it. The water cycle works so simple: water evaporates from oceans, the land, and the vegetation to form clouds. These are driven by wind a cross the continents where they discharge their rain, feeding the rivers, which then carry the water back to the seas to complete the cycle. Pafrt (1996) desc ribed clearly how a modern human uses water: It comes to our taps when called. It drains away to somewhere else. Most of us have been able to swim when we wan t, bathe when we choose, water our lawns, and let our children drink from fount ains at school. Like good health, we ignore water when we have it. But, Iike he alth, when water is threatened, it's the only thing that matters. Fresh water i s the blood of our land, the nourishment of our forests and crops. The average modern hu-man thus consume about 400 Iiters of clean water per day (Pnfrt, 1996 ) compared to about 20 Iiters for an average poor man. For domestic purposes th e Asians living in capi-tal cities use much more water (Table 1) than those in the countryside. Domestic water uses range from 116 Iiters per capita per day i n Manila to 240 l/cap/day in Bangkok. As the cities will be flocked with more i n-migration, their water needs have to be diverted from the agricultural reserv oirs.

　

　

　

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