Greenhouse gases rising in Asian countries

Greenhouse gases rising in Asian countries

By Oliver Teves

MANILA, Philippines (AP): Emissions of greenhouse gases in
developing Asian countries will skyrocket to three to five times
their 1990 levels by 2020 if no counter-measures are taken,
experts said.

Twelve developing countries in Asia account for 90 percent of
all greenhouse gas emissions in the region but only 15 percent of
global greenhouse gas emissions, according to scientists at a
regional conference hosted by the Asian Development Bank.

Scientists say greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide,
methane and nitrous oxide, may cause global warming - melting
glaciers, causing oceans to rise, and altering traditional
weather patterns around the world.

Kazi Jalal, chief of the Manila-based bank's office of
environment and social development, said the rapid increase in
the emissions is due to rising use of fossil fuels, specially
coal, for electricity and transportation.

Jalal said greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector are
projected to account for 80 percent of total greenhouse gas
emissions by 2020.

"But even with such projected increase, this group of
countries would still be far smaller emitters of greenhouse gas
on a per-capita basis" compared to industrial countries, he said.

The countries that participated in the conference were
Bangladesh, Myanmar, China, India, Indonesia, Mongolia, Pakistan,
Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The UN Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific presented a study
on greenhouse gases in North Korea.

The primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the region
are production and use of fossil fuels, wet rice agriculture,
livestock raising, solid waste disposal, deforestation and land-
clearing activities that are rapidly increasing in Asia,
scientists said.

Bindu Lohani, manager of the bank's environment division, said
if abatement measures are implemented, the rate of increase could
be reduced by 20 percent to 30 percent.

Such measures include improvement in efficiency of energy
conversion and use; wider use of renewable energy sources such as
hydropower, wind and solar energy; less energy-intensive mass
transport systems; protection and conservation of natural
forests; reforestation; dry rice agriculture; livestock feed and
waste management; and recovery and use of methane from landfills.

The conference on the Asia Least-Cost Greenhouse Gas Abatement
Strategy Project, or Algas, also prepared participants for
negotiations in an international meeting on climate change to be
held in Kyoto, Japan, next month.

Jalal said the project has helped the 12 countries fulfill
their commitments to the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change to make an inventory of greenhouse gases, develop
abatement strategies and identify specific projects to reduce
emissions.

A participant from Bangladesh said although the 12 Asian
countries are not obliged to take action under a proposed
protocol to be negotiated in Kyoto on reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, "they are nevertheless taking action as good citizens
of this planet."

Suphaint Piamphongsant, a participant from Thailand, said the
Group of 77, to which the 12 Asian countries belong, has a
"strong position" not to make additional commitments at the Kyoto
conference.