Towards a more effective operational response - arsenic contamination of groundwater in south and east asian countries: a policy report by World Bank

This policy report on arsenic contamination of groundwater resources by the World Bank presents the findings of a study undertaken by the World Bank in 2005, that examined operational responses to the issue of naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater of Asian countries, including India. The report states that the water supply sector has a specific role to play in arsenic mitigation, and that arsenic cannot be treated as an isolated issue, with distinct programs and approaches, but it has to be integrated into broader water supply sector policies and approaches.

The study outlines some solutions to the arsenic problem, which take into account country and locality-specific characteristics and also analyses them in economic, financial and social terms. The study  draws on information provided by a range of organisations,  from governments to NGOs, donors, and academia to the World Bank's own operations and concludes that there is now enough information to act, and that actors/nations should not be deterred by the complexity of the arsenic issue, which is inevitably marked by a certain degree of uncertainty, and calls for a better, more integrated and strategic response to the problem.

Read the reports and supporting papers of the study below :

1. An overview of the issue
2. Volume I - Policy report
3. Volume II - Technical report
4. Paper 1: Arsenic Occurence in Groundwater in South and East Asia -- Scale, Causes, and Mitigation
5. Paper 2: An Overview of Current Operational Responses to the Arsenic Issue in South and East Asia
6. Paper 3: Arsenic Mitigation Technologies in South and East Asia
7. Paper 4: The Economics of Arsenic Mitigation

Download the report and the supporting papers from below: