Updated on Friday, June 08, 2007, 00:00 IST

Washington, June 08: At a time when the Bush administration is coming under a lot of criticism at home and abroad for its policies on global warming and climate change a new State Department Report has warned that Asia is heading for fresh water crisis due to the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas.

Himalayas are sources of fresh water supplies to major rivers of Asia.

The report submitted to the Congress said that reduced fresh water availability in Asia could affect more than one billion people by the mid-century. It has focussed on safe water and sanitation strategy in developing countries.

"Increased floods and changes in coastal water temperatures could result in greater morbidity and mortality due to diarrhoeal disease" the report has further warned.

The point made by the State department report is that globally by 2020 between 75 and 250 million people are expected to be under "water stress" due to long-term climate shifts and population growth.

Apart from the shrinking of yields in rain fed agriculture, climate shifts in the short term can also impact the frequency and severity of droughts, floods and heat waves, the report has warned.

It further said that from a longer term perspective climate change could lead to changes in snow and glacier run off that feed water supplies and to increases in coastal flooding and salt water intrusion.

"All of these changes will impact the economic and cultural systems that have developed in response to current climatic conditions," the report has maintained.

Bureau Report