In a fresh initiative aimed at demonstrating Japan's resolve to help preserve the environment, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto will propose to host an international conference addressing water problems in developing countries possibly by autumn, government sources said May 19.
Hashimoto will make the proposal at the annual summit of top leaders of the Group of Seven major industrialized economies -- the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Japan -- plus Russia to be held in Denver between June 20 and 22, the sources said. The global environment is expected to be high on the agenda.
In Denver, the G-7 and Russian leaders will agree on the importance of addressing water problems in developing countries and pledge to consider at the expert-level what specific assistance measures industrialized countries and international organizations can -- or should -- take to help resolve the problems, the sources said. While demand for freshwater is rising in the developing world in tandem with the rapid population growth, there is growing concern about deterioration of quality due to industrial and agricultural wastes, the sources said. The deterioration is affecting health -- especially that of children.