Comparison of Water Quality Management Framework in Asian Countries

Water is an essential and valuable resource for Asian countries, both for daily existence and economic development. However, water degradation is now very apparent, caused by population increase, urbanisation, and economic growth in the region. The Asian region has transboundary water resources, so a regional approach to water quality management is required. Each country has established its own water quality management framework, necessitating discussions on regional water quality management in Asia to clarify differences and commonalities of the frameworks used in different countries.
This study reviews the water quality management frameworks of 13 Asian countries in aspects of legal system and policy in order to identify areas of difference and similarity. By reviewing water quality management in Asian countries on an item-by-item basis this study intends to elicit problems in water quality management in the PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle.