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ALongtermPerspectiveonEnvironmentandDevelopmentintheAsiaPacificRegion

IV.ConclusionsandRecommendations
4.1Conclusions
AsmentionedinChapter1,theAsiaPacifichasthegreatestbiologicaldiversityofterrestrialand
marineecosystemsintheworldandabundantnaturalresources.Ontheotherhand,thepopulation
ofthisregionismorethanhalfoftotalworldpopulationandisrapidlyconcentratingincities.
ThoughtheAsiaPacificregionhasseenhigheconomicgrowthratesinthelasttwodecadesorso,
itisstillaregionwiththelargestnumberofpoorpeopleintheworldandwhereeconomic
developmentandpovertyalleviationaretheoverridingpriorityofdevelopingcountries.
Integrationofeconomicdevelopmentandenvironmentalprotectiontopromotesustainable
developmentisparticularlyimportant,andprogressinthiswouldreducetheenvironmental
degradationoftheregion.CommitmentsinAgenda21andtheRioDeclarationfordeveloped
countriestoprovidenewandadditionalfinancialresourceshavenotyetbeenmet.The
impedimentsandconstraintstothisneedtobeidentifiedandremovedifthenecessaryprogressis
tobemadeonthiscriticalissue.
Associatedwiththecomplexnatureoftheenvironmentalissuesintheregion,whichstemfrom
historicalcausesandcurrentconstraints,manypartsoftheregionarenowfacingpollution
problemssuchasairpollution,waterpollution,andwastedisposal,andtherearealsoserious
worriesaboutglobalandregionalenvironmentalproblems,suchasclimatechangeandacid
deposition.Manydevelopingcountriescannothopetoadoptstateoftheartpollutioncontrol
measuresbecauseofeconomiclimitations,weakinstitutionaladministrations,lackofinformation,
inabilitytoapplymarketmechanisms,andotherrestrainingfactors.
StudiesbytheWorldBankestimatethatoverthenextdecade,economicgrowthinChinaandother
EastAsiandevelopingcountrieswillbe7.7percentperannum.Populationandeconomicgrowth
ofthismagnitudewillincreaseenergyconsumptionandemissionsofCO2,SO2andother
pollutantssubstantially.Itisalsopredictedthataboutonefifthofthe1990forestareawillbe
convertedtocroplandandgrasslandby2025.ESCAPfiguresshowthat36percentofthearable
landinAsiaisbeingdesertifiedand,accordingtotheFAO,theaverageannuallossofforestlandin
theregion(about1.2percent)ishigherthaninanyothertropicalregion.Lossofbiological
diversity,emissionofGHGs(greenhousegases)andthreatstothelifestyleofindigenouspeople
willoccur.Thiswilljeopardizesustainabledevelopment,notonlyonnationalandregionallevels
butalsoonthegloballevel.
ThecountriesoftheAsiaPacificregionhavebeguntosearchforanewpath,shiftingfrom
unsustainabledevelopmenttooneofsustainabledevelopment.Inpursuitofthisprocess,traditional
valuesandwaysoflifecanprovidethephilosophicalunderpinningandmodelsofbehaviortoward
theenvironmentthatcanserveasguidelinesforsustainabledevelopment.Chapter2on"Asia
PacificEcoConsciousness",identifiedavarietyofAsiaPacifictraditionsandlifestyleswhich
usedtobeenvironmentallysound.Unfortunately,manyofthesetraditionshavebeenforgottenor
fallenintodisuseinthecourseofrecenteconomicdevelopmentcharacterizedbymassproduction
andmassconsumption.Thereareindications,however,thatinterestinsomeofthesetraditionsis
revivingandthattheymayofferusefulinsightsforformulationofsustainabledevelopment
policies.Itwouldbeworthwhileforcountriesandpeopleintheregiontoidentifytheirownsocial
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andculturaltraditionsandpracticesandexaminetheextenttowhichtheycanbeincorporatedin
thenewpatternofdevelopment.
Althoughenvironmentallysoundtraditionallifestylesaretoberediscoveredandrespected,new
approachestoenvironmentalproblemsshouldbepromoted,reflectingnewconceptsinpolicy.
Chapter3proposedthefollowingthreeconceptsaswellasfutureregionalactions.
Thefirstis"EcoPartnership".Itderivesfromtheinterdependenceamongcountriesintheregion.
Itconsistsofreinforcementofpartnershipamongthesecountriesintheenvironmentalsphere.
Exchangeofexperience,cooperationatalllevels,jointactivitiesandestablishmentofECOASIA
FocalPointsaresuggestedasfutureregionalactions.Becausethegapbetweenmiddleincomeand
lowincomedevelopingcountriesisnotsolarge,thereisscopeforsharingexperiencesand
cooperationinovercomingenvironmentalproblems.
Thesecondis"EcoTechnologyandEcoInvestment".Itderivesfromthepotentialforactive
capitalinvestmentandintroductionofnewtechnologyduringaphaseofhigheconomicgrowth.It
callsforenergeticinvestmentinthefieldofenvironmentandincorporationofenvironmentally
soundtechnology.Localizationofenvironmentrelatedindustry,promotionofinvestmentinthe
environmentalprotectioninfrastructureandpromotionofinvestmentinenergyconservationare
suggestedactions.Whenenvironmentaltechnologyistransferredtoadevelopingcountry,it
shouldhelppromotethedomesticindustryinthatfield,andnotsimplycreateadependencyon
continuedaidortechnologyimport.
Thethirdis"EcoPolicyLinkage".Thisisasetofstrategiesthatlinkdomesticenvironmental
policiesofcountriestoglobalscaleenvironmentalpolicies.Thiswillprovideadvantagesfornot
onlydevelopingcountries,butalsofordevelopedcountriesandalsoitisexpectedtogreatly
expeditetheimplementationofbothglobalandregionalpolicies.Proposedactionsincludelinked
strategiesforairpollutionprevention,naturalresourcerecovery,recyclingpromotion,biodiversity
protection,andwaterpollutionprevention.
Inconclusion,iftheAsiaPacificregionproceedswitheconomicdevelopmentasiscurrently
plannedwithoutaunifyingsustainabledevelopmentpolicyframework,therewillbegrave
consequences.SuchaframeworkwouldallowcountriesoftheAsiaPacificRegiontopursue
economicimprovementpolicieswhichaddresspovertyandprovideabetterqualityoflifefortheir
ownpeoplethroughsustainabledevelopment.Lowerincomecountriescanpursueincreased
economicgrowthtomakeitpossibleforthemtoadvancehumandevelopmentandinvestin
environmentalprotectionevenasdevelopedcountriesreviewtheirowneconomicagendatoadjust
toenvironmentalconcerns.Largeamountsoffundingareneededtocopewiththeseproblems,and
existingfinancialresourcesaretoosmall.Tofindwaystomobilizefinancialandpersonnel
resourcesandtodevelopfurther"AsiaPacificEcoConsciousness"andthethreeconcepts
mentionedabove,thecontinuationofcooperativeworkintheregionlikethisECOASIALong
termProjectisimportant.

4.2Recommendations
EcoConsciousness
ECOASIALongtermPerspectiveProjectprovidesabasisforfurtherdevelopmentand
disseminationoftheconceptofAsiaPacificEcoConsciousnessforraisingpublic
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awareness:
(a)Thiswillencourageeachcountrytorediscoverthoseelementsinitstraditionalwaysof
lifethataresuitedtoconservetheenvironment,andtoprotectandnurturethem,including
incorporatingthemintonationalpolicies,actionsplans,andeducationalcurriculum.This
willensurethetransmissionoftheconceptofEcoConsciousnesstofuturegenerations.
(b)Toavoidrepeatingmistakesmadebydevelopedcountries,thecountriesoftheregion
needtocreateinstitutionsandprocessestolearnfromeachother'sexperienceandtojointly
createnewpatternsofsustainabledevelopment.

EcoPartnership
Itisrecommendedthatgovernmentsprovidesupporttosmallandmediumenterprisesthat
oftenlackfunds,technology,andinformationonlowenvironmentalimpacttechnologies
assistanceshouldalsobesoughtfromNGOsandindustrysectorgroups.
CountriesneedtosupporttheactivitiesofnonprofitNGOsastheyprovideimportant
informationfordecisionmakersaswellasenhancingpublicawarenessoftheroleofcitizens
inreducingenvironmentalproblems.
IntercitynetworkssuchasICLEIneedencouragementandsupportintheirinitiativesin
establishingforaandjointactionsforresolutionofurbanenvironmentalproblems.

EcoTechnologyandEcoInvestment
DevelopedcountriesneedtomeetthecommitmentsmadeatUNCEDinRioin1992towards
fundingenvironmentalprotectionprojectsindevelopingcountries.
Companiespossessingenvironmentallysoundtechnologyshouldbeencouragedtotransfer
thiswhenestablishingsubsidiariesorjointventuresindevelopingcountries.
Governmentsintheregionneedtoactivelystimulateamajorincreaseininvestmentin
environmentalmanagementandprotectioninindustrialandgovernmentalsectors,tomeet
anestimatedsixfoldincreaseinfundingrequirementsforenvironmentalprotectionbythe
year2025.
Governmentsshouldthoroughlyinvestigatemarketmechanismsinordertomeetthe
immenseenvironmentalinvestmentrequirementintheregion.
Growthofthedomesticecoindustryindevelopingcountriesshouldbefosteredbyoffering
incentivestoforeigninvestorstoenterintojointventureswithlocalenterprises.
Countriesshouldprovideenvironmentalandenergyconservationguidelinesforexternal
investorsinmanufacturingandrealestatedevelopment.
Governmentsneedtoreviewenergypricesthataresetatartificiallylowlevels,andthus
provideincentivesforinvestmentinenergyconservation.Duringperiodsofmajorindustrial
expansion,governmentscouldrequirecompaniestoincorporateenergysavingtechnology
aspartofenergyuse.
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EcoPolicyLinkage
Governmentsneedtocloselylinktheirnationalpolicieswithregionalandinternational
policyinthefollowingareasinordertoachievemaximumprogressonenvironmentalissues:
AirPollutionPreventionLinkedStrategy:Thelinkingofnationalpoliciesforcontrolofthe
emissionsofSO2,NOx,andothersubstances,tointernationalpoliciesforarrestingglobal
warmingandaciddeposition.
NaturalResourceRecoveryLinkedStrategy:Thelinkingofnationalpoliciesforforest
management,reforestation,soilrecoveryandincreasingfoodproduction,intointernational
policiesfornaturalresourcemanagementandarrestingglobalwarming.
RecyclingPromotionLinkedStrategy:Thepromotionofnationalrecyclingpoliciesthatare
associatedwithinternationalpoliciesforresourcedevelopment,therebyinstitutinganew
recyclingstrategyinthedevelopedcountries.
BiodiversityProtectionLinkedStrategy:Thelinkingofpoliciesforprotectingbiodiversity
andnaturalenvironmenttoregionalandsubregionalprogramstopromoteecotourism,
therebyencouraginganewprotectionstrategyofnaturalenvironment.
WaterPollutionPreventionLinkedStrategy:Thelinkingoftheirnationalpoliciesforwater
qualitycontrolinriversadjacentseastoregionalandsubregionalpoliciesforpreventing
waterpollutioninthehighseas,therebyencouragingdomesticandlocalactivitiesforwater
qualitymanagement.

4.3FollowupActivitiesofECOASIALongtermPerspectiveProject
ParticipatingcountriescommendedtheinitiativesoftheGovernmentofJapanandthework
oftheJapaneseEnvironmentAgency(EA)intheECOASIALongtermPerspectiveProject.
TheyrequestedthattheJapaneseEAcontinuethecoordinatingroleinthecriticalongoing
workthatisreflectedintheprojectconclusionsandrecommendations.Thisarrangement
willbereviewedatfutureprojectmeetings.
Particularproposalsforfollowupactivitiesare:
1)ToreporttheresultsofECOASIALongtermPerspectiveProjecttotheFifthSessionof
theUNCommissiononSustainableDevelopmentortotheSpecialSessionoftheUN
GeneralAssembly.
2)Toorganiseinternationalworkshopstofurtherdevelopapproachesandactivitiesonthe
followingfouritems:EcoConsciousness,EcoPartnership,EcoTechnologyandEco
Investment,andEcoPolicyLinkage.
3)TooutlinetheroleandfunctionoftheECOASIAFocalPointineachcountryand
establishameansformaintaininglinkagebetweencountryfocalpoints.
4)TodeveloptheAIMandFrameworkmodelsfurther(particularlyJapan),closelylinked
withthedevelopmentofenvironmentalindicatorsintheregioninaddition,opportunitiesto
usethesemodelsincountriesintheregionshouldbesoughtcountriesshouldestablishthe
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necessarydatacollectionandtrainingsystems.
5)ToestablisharegionalAsiaPacificenvironmentalinformationnetwork(ECOASIANET
maybethebasisforthis).Toensureeffectiveincountryuse,thenecessarytraining
programsandcomputerhardwareshouldbeidentified,plannedandfunded.
6)TopursuepoliciesandactionswhichinvolvenewactorsincludingNGOsandtheprivate
sector.
RETURNTOTableofContents

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