A meeting on river issues has examined pressing issues in water and food security.

The International River Symposium, held from 2-11 September 2005, in Brisbane, Australia, covered topics such as transboundary catchment conflicts and resolutions, water scarcity and urban and rural tensions over sharing water resources. Although the United Nations estimates that nearly two billion people lack access to clean drinking water, there was general optimism among delegates that better management was beginning to ease the problem. According to some participants, the world is gradually winning its battle to overcome drinking water shortages through better resource management. However, while countries like Australia and China are beginning to tackle problems caused by over-damming, diverting and polluting rivers, impending risks were identified elsewhere, including in India.
Links to further information
International River Symposium homepage
World seen winning battle of water scarcity, Reuters, 9 September 2005