A Long-term Perspective on Environment and Development in the Asia-Pacific Region
IV. Conclusions and Recommendations
Associated with the complex nature of the environmental issues in the region, which stem from historical causes and current constraints, many parts of the region are now facing pollution problems such as air pollution, water pollution, and waste disposal, and there are also serious worries about global and regional environmental problems, such as climate change and acid deposition. Many developing countries cannot hope to adopt state-of-the-art pollution control measures because of economic limitations, weak institutional administrations, lack of information, inability to apply market mechanisms, and other restraining factors.
Studies by the World Bank estimate that over the next decade, economic growth in China and other East Asian developing countries will be 7.7 percent per annum. Population and economic growth of this magnitude will increase energy consumption and emissions of CO2, SO2 and other pollutants substantially. It is also predicted that about one-fifth of the 1990 forest area will be converted to cropland and grassland by 2025. ESCAP figures show that 36 percent of the arable land in Asia is being desertified and, according to the FAO, the average annual loss of forestland in the region (about 1.2 percent) is higher than in any other tropical region. Loss of biological diversity, emission of GHGs (greenhouse gases) and threats to the life-style of indigenous people will occur. This will jeopardize sustainable development, not only on national and regional levels but also on the global level.
The countries of the Asia-Pacific region have begun to search for a new path, shifting from unsustainable development to one of sustainable development. In pursuit of this process, traditional values and ways of life can provide the philosophical underpinning and models of behavior toward the environment that can serve as guidelines for sustainable development. Chapter 2 on "Asia-Pacific Eco-Consciousness", identified a variety of Asia-Pacific traditions and lifestyles which used to be environmentally sound. Unfortunately, many of these traditions have been forgotten or fallen into disuse in the course of recent economic development characterized by mass production and mass consumption. There are indications, however, that interest in some of these traditions is reviving and that they may offer useful insights for formulation of sustainable development policies. It would be worthwhile for countries and people in the region to identify their own social and cultural traditions and practices and examine the extent to which they can be incorporated in the new pattern of development.
Although environmentally sound traditional lifestyles are to be rediscovered and respected, new approaches to environmental problems should be promoted, reflecting new concepts in policy. Chapter 3 proposed the following three concepts as well as future regional actions.
The first is "Eco-Partnership". It derives from the interdependence among countries in the region. It consists of reinforcement of partnership among these countries in the environmental sphere. Exchange of experience, cooperation at all levels, joint activities and establishment of ECO ASIA Focal Points are suggested as future regional actions. Because the gap between middle income and low income developing countries is not so large, there is scope for sharing experiences and cooperation in overcoming environmental problems.
The second is "Eco-Technology and Eco-Investment". It derives from the potential for active capital investment and introduction of new technology during a phase of high economic growth. It calls for energetic investment in the field of environment and incorporation of environmentally sound technology. Localization of environment-related industry, promotion of investment in the environmental protection infrastructure and promotion of investment in energy conservation are suggested actions. When environmental technology is transferred to a developing country, it should help promote the domestic industry in that field, and not simply create a dependency on continued aid or technology import.
The third is "Eco-Policy Linkage". This is a set of strategies that link domestic environmental policies of countries to global scale environmental policies. This will provide advantages for not only developing countries, but also for developed countries and also it is expected to greatly expedite the implementation of both global and regional policies. Proposed actions include linked strategies for air pollution prevention, natural resource recovery, recycling promotion, biodiversity protection, and water pollution prevention.
In conclusion, if the Asia-Pacific region proceeds with economic development as is currently planned without a unifying sustainable development policy framework, there will be grave consequences. Such a framework would allow countries of the Asia-Pacific Region to pursue economic improvement policies which address poverty and provide a better quality of life for their own people through sustainable development. Lower income countries can pursue increased economic growth to make it possible for them to advance human development and invest in environmental protection even as developed countries review their own economic agenda to adjust to environmental concerns. Large amounts of funding are needed to cope with these problems, and existing financial resources are too small. To find ways to mobilize financial and personnel resources and to develop further "Asia- Pacific Eco-Consciousness" and the three concepts mentioned above, the continuation of cooperative work in the region like this ECO ASIA Long-term Project is important.
Eco-Consciousness
ECO ASIA Long-term Perspective Project provides a basis for further development and dissemination of the concept of Asia-Pacific Eco-Consciousness for raising public awareness:
(a) This will encourage each country to rediscover those elements in its traditional ways of life that are suited to conserve the environment, and to protect and nurture them, including incorporating them into national policies, actions plans, and educational curriculum. This will ensure the transmission of the concept of Eco- Consciousness to future generations.
(b) To avoid repeating mistakes made by developed countries, the countries of the region need to create institutions and processes to learn from each other's experience and to jointly create new patterns of sustainable development.
Eco-Partnership
It is recommended that governments provide support to small and medium enterprises that often lack funds, technology, and information on low environmental impact technologies; assistance should also be sought from NGOs and industry sector groups.
Countries need to support the activities of non-profit NGOs as they provide important information for decision-makers as well as enhancing public awareness of the role of citizens in reducing environmental problems.
Inter-city networks such as ICLEI need encouragement and support in their initiatives in establishing fora and joint actions for resolution of urban environmental problems.
Eco-Technology and Eco-Investment
Developed countries need to meet the commitments made at UNCED in Rio in 1992
towards funding environmental protection projects in developing countries.
Companies possessing environmentally sound technology should be encouraged
to transfer this when establishing subsidiaries or joint ventures in developing
countries.
Governments in the region need to actively stimulate a major increase in
investment in environmental management and protection in industrial and
governmental sectors, to meet an estimated six-fold increase in funding
requirements for environmental protection by the year 2025.
Governments should thoroughly investigate market mechanisms in order to meet
the immense environmental investment requirement in the region.
Growth of the domestic eco-industry in developing countries should be fostered by
offering incentives to foreign investors to enter into joint ventures with local
enterprises.
Countries should provide environmental and energy conservation guidelines for
external investors in manufacturing and real estate development.
Governments need to review energy prices that are set at artificially low levels,
and thus provide incentives for investment in energy conservation. During periods
of major industrial expansion, governments could require companies to incorporate
energy-saving technology as part of energy use.
Eco-Policy Linkage
Governments need to closely link their national policies with regional and
international policy in the following areas in order to achieve maximum progress on
environmental issues:
Air Pollution Prevention Linked Strategy: The linking of national policies for
control of the emissions of SO2, NOx, and other substances, to international policies
for arresting global warming and acid deposition.
Natural Resource Recovery Linked Strategy: The linking of national policies for
forest management, reforestation, soil recovery and increasing food production, into
international policies for natural resource management and arresting global
warming.
Recycling Promotion Linked Strategy: The promotion of national recycling
policies that are associated with international policies for resource development,
thereby instituting a new recycling strategy in the developed countries.
Biodiversity Protection Linked Strategy: The linking of policies for protecting
biodiversity and natural environment to regional and subregional programs to
promote eco-tourism, thereby encouraging a new protection strategy of natural
environment.
Water Pollution Prevention Linked Strategy: The linking of their national policies
for water quality control in rivers adjacent seas to regional and subregional policies
for preventing water pollution in the high seas, thereby encouraging domestic and
local activities for water quality management.
4.3 Follow-up Activities of ECO ASIA Long-term Perspective Project
Participating countries commended the initiatives of the Government of Japan and the work of the Japanese Environment Agency (EA) in the ECO ASIA Long-term Perspective Project. They requested that the Japanese EA continue the coordinating role in the critical ongoing work that is reflected in the project conclusions and recommendations. This arrangement will be reviewed at future project meetings.
Particular proposals for follow-up activities are:
1) To report the results of ECO ASIA Long-term Perspective Project to the Fifth Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development or to the Special Session of the UN General Assembly.
2) To organise international workshops to further develop approaches and activities on the following four items: Eco-Consciousness, Eco-Partnership, Eco- Technology and Eco-Investment, and Eco-Policy Linkage.
3) To outline the role and function of the ECO ASIA Focal Point in each country and establish a means for maintaining linkage between country focal points.
4) To develop the AIM and Framework models further (particularly Japan), closely linked with the development of environmental indicators in the region; in addition, opportunities to use these models in countries in the region should be sought; countries should establish the necessary data collection and training systems.
5) To establish a regional Asia Pacific environmental information network (ECO ASIA NET may be the basis for this). To ensure effective in-country use, the necessary training programs and computer hardware should be identified, planned and funded.
6) To pursue policies and actions which involve new actors including NGOs and the private sector.