Asia's environmental abuse has to end: ADB<\/p>\n
MANILA (Reuters): Environmental degradation in Asia and the
\nPacific is pervasive, accelerating and unabated and policy-makers
\nhave to respond to the problem now, the Asian Development Bank
\n(ADB) said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Among 41 cities ranked by particulate pollution in the
\natmosphere, 13 of the worst 15 are in Asia, the ADB said in its
\nAsian Environment Outlook 2001 report.<\/p>\n
One in three Asians has no access to safe drinking water close
\nto home. In Asian rivers, the levels of human waste are three
\ntimes the world average and 50 times higher than the World Health
\nOrganization's recommended maximum.<\/p>\n
The Manila-based multilateral lending institution said there
\nwas a worrying nexus between development and harm to the
\nenvironment.<\/p>\n
"Economic changes such as large increases in population,
\nagricultural output, industrial production and capital, and
\nadvances in science and technology have transformed the region's
\nnatural resource base, both as a source of material inputs and as
\na sink for pollution," the report said.<\/p>\n
"Declining environmental quality and continued dependence on
\nnatural resources are constraining the economic growth that is
\nneeded to reduce poverty in the region over the next 20 years,"
\nit said.<\/p>\n
Asia is home to two-thirds of the world's poor. About 900
\nmillion people in the region live on less than $1 a day.<\/p>\n
The ADB said the region has already lost up to 90 percent of
\nits original wildlife habitat to agriculture, infrastructure, and
\ndeforestation.<\/p>\n
More than 350 million hectares of land in China, India and
\nPakistan have been degraded. It also said that the Philippines
\nhas lost 70 percent of its mangrove forests while Vietnam has
\nlost 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Ely Anthony Ouano, senior environment specialist at the bank,
\nsaid at the launching of the report Asia's rising population and
\nurbanization will make existing environmental problems worse over
\nthe next 15 years.<\/p>\n
Asia's population is expected to grow by 700 million over the
\nnext 15 years, with more than 50 percent living in cities by
\n2020, he said.<\/p>\n
Ouano said that urban population will triple to over a billion
\nin 2020 from 360 million in 1990.<\/p>\n
The ADB said a new approach, including integrating
\nenvironmental concerns with economic development to reduce
\npoverty, should be pursued.<\/p>\n
"Abundant opportunities exist to redirect underlying driving
\nforces to change, create new and effective institutions,
\nestablish markets for ecosystem services where none exist today,
\nand integrate environmental policies into mainstream economic
\nplanning and management," it said.<\/p>\n
"In this context, an abiding political will is essential to
\ntranslate rhetoric into action," the report said.<\/p>\n
"Political will, policy integration and development by design
\nwill become meaningless slogans unless all stakeholders act in
\nconcert to ensure long-term sustainable development in the
\nregion," it added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asias-environmental-abuse-has-to-end-adb-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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