Hydrology and water resources in monsoon Asia: a consideration of the necessity of establishing a standing research community of hydrology and water resources in the Asia Pacific region

Hydrological and water resources issues appear very differently in different regions, and are strongly affected by geographical conditions. Hydrological knowledge and methodologies obtained in a specific region cannot necessarily be adapted to other regions. The purpose of this paper is to clarify one way to address adequately the regional characteristics of hydrology and water resources in monsoon Asia, especially the ‘too much water’ problems in the region. For this purpose, geomorphological factors, climatic factors and human intervention in the natural environment are taken into consideration as the three major factors governing the regional characteristics of the hydrology–water resources system. To identify geomorphological features macroscopically between the Asia Pacific region and other continental regions, the concepts ‘tectonic zone’ and ‘stable region’, which are two major subdivisions of continental masses in the world, are introduced. Also, a new climatic subdivision termed ‘warm‐humid’ is proposed to express the abundant precipitation due to the Asian monsoon. Then, hydrological characteristics common or similar in ‘warm‐humid tectonic zones’ in the Asia Pacific region, contrasted with those in stable regions, are enumerated together with the human intervention corresponding to these characteristics, and research targets peculiar to warm‐humid tectonic zones are discussed. Finally, the establishment of a standing research community called ‘Asia Pacific Association of Hydrology and Water Resources’ is proposed to promote the exchange of operational knowledge and experience in water resources management, cooperative research activities, and professional education in the Asia Pacific region. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.