Global Water Bankruptcy: What It Means for Asia

What happens when water problems are no longer temporary crises but signs of a deeper, systemic breakdown? On this episode of Asia Inside Out, Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute, speaks with Professor Kaveh Madani, director of the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment, and Health (UNU-INWEH), about the concept of “global water bankruptcy” and what it means for Asia.

Madani discusses water scarcity and stress, the pressures facing agriculture and rapidly growing cities, the water demands of industrialization and AI infrastructure, and the need to rethink how economies manage water. The conversation also explores transboundary river governance, water’s role in food security and national security, and why water can serve as a foundation for international cooperation and stability. 

Asia Inside Out brings together our team and special guests to take you beyond the latest policy headlines and provide an insider’s view on regional and global affairs. Each episode we’ll deliver an interview with informed experts, analysts, and decision-makers from across the Asia-Pacific region. If you want to dig into the details of how policy works, this is the podcast for you. 

This podcast is produced by the Asia Society Policy Institute, a “think-and-do tank” working on the cutting edge of current policy trends by incorporating the best ideas from our experts and contributors into recommendations for policymakers to put these plans into practice.