Evaluating Water Security in the Asia-Pacific Region: A New Approach Based on Vulnerability Indices

Abstract

A specialist in non-traditional security issues in China and Southeast Asia outlines a new approach to investigating the emerging issue of water security in East Asia. The author develops a composite vulnerability index linking water availability with economic and social conditions, and applies the index to assess the effects of water supply constraints on 26 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The paper demonstrates that the index provides useful insights for further analyses, although additional work is needed before it can be considered fully reliable for forecasting purposes.