Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday urged Asia-Pacific nations to cooperate in sustainable water management in a bid to effectively handle natural disasters.

The lady prime minister made the remark at the Leader Forum of the Second Asia Pacific Water Summit, which was attended by leaders and senior officials of nine countries in the region.

The forum will wrap up the week-long summit hosted by Thailand's northern province of Chiang Mai.

Yingluck said countries in Asia and the Pacific, which is prone to natural disasters, should work together with sustainable water management system approaches such as avoiding human activities which destroy natural resources, facilitating access to clean water sources, and preparing for natural disasters.

Without a comprehensive water management system, a 'war on water' could erupt, she warned.

The Thai premier urged all countries in the region to prevent deforestation and set up a warning system to reduce damage to the environment.