Freshwater biodiversity in Asia with special reference to fish

Asia is home to some 3500 species of fish, hundreds of other organisms which spend their entire lives in water, and to many types of freshwater habitats. Many of these are of considerable economic value and are an important source of food for many poor people. This freshwater biodiversity can be adversely affected by projects related to dams, food control, water supply, mining, fisheries management, introduction of exotic species, irrigation, bridges, industrial effluent, domestic waste, waterway modification for navigation and other purposes, and forest clearance;Current international agreements and World Bank policies support actions to consider and conserve freshwater biodiversity, which has received far less attention than biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Certain fresh water habitats are' critical' in the sense of the World Bank's OP 4.04 in Natural Habitats;Freshwater biodiversity concerns are not always wholly addressed by attention to fisheries management or wetland conservation. The countries of Asia differ in their national capacity and expertise in freshwater biodiversity and the related fields of ecology and taxonomy, and in the quantity and quality of relevant and available information. The appropriate remedial strategy is therefore different for each country.