UNEP - Regional Office for Asia Pacific

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REGIONAL WORK

Featured Project:
The ECCO project strengthens the capacity of national governments to carry out vulnerability and impact assessments for adaptation. More

	Climate Change in Asia Pacific
Asia Pacific is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change and impacts are likely to become more intense in future. Rising temperatures and extreme weather events have contributed to loss of crop yield in many countries. Crop yields are projected to decline by a further 10 percent by 2020. More

Featured Project:
Responding to cyclone Nargis, Myanmar, UNEP played a central role in mainstreaming environmental concerns. More

	Disasters and conflicts in Asia Pacific
Nearly half of the world's natural disasters occur in the Asia and the Pacific region. In 2008 alone, the region accounted for more than half of the 220 major disasters that took place, which affected more than 55 million people and resulted in 7,000 deaths and US$15 billion in damages. More

Featured Project:
The Hindu Kush-Karakorum-Himalaya is one of the worlds most culturally and ecologically significant More

	Ecosystem Management in Asia Pacific
The Asia Pacific region boasts a high level of biological and cultural diversity which has greatly shaped its history and economic activities. While the region occupies less than 10 per cent of the planet's total surface, it is home to more than half of the world's human population and some of the most diverse plant and animal species in the world. More

Featured Project:
To further strengthen capacity to implement environmental law, UNEP organizes global training on environmental law and policy. More

	Environmental Governance in Asia Pacific
While there has been significant progress in the last decade in the development of environmental institutions and legislation, the region's burgeoning economic growth and growing population have taken a toll on its natural resource base and the environment. More

Featured Project:
UNEP seeks to promote chemical safety by providing technical advice and guidance and build the capacity of developing countries. More

	Harmful Substances in Asia Pacific
In Asia Pacific, harmful and hazardous waste threatens millions of people. Left unchecked, these wastes could pose severe hazards. Asia's high population density and often tropical climate put it especially at risk for contamination. Regulations have increased but enforcement remains inadequate. More

Featured Project:
The Green Economy Initiative (GEI) is designed to assist governments in "greening" their economies. More

	Resource Efficiency in Asia Pacific
Most of the global growth in resource use has occurred in high-income Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, but recently the Asia and the Pacific region has emerged as a major global resource consumer and has surpassed the rest of world in material use. More

REGIONAL NEWS

		New Agricultural Biodiversity Project to Improve Nutrition and Food Security Worldwide Rio de Janeiro, 28 April 2012 – Placing renewed emphasis on sustaining the natural variety of crops and animals contributing to agriculture, including neglected yet nutritious traditional foods, can improve food security and address growing global concerns over poor nutrition and its negative health effects, officials said at the launch of a new international project at the World Nutrition Rio Congress 2012.

		Pacific Islands Face Severe Water Threat, New Report says Bangkok, 23 April 2012 – The unique freshwater challenge facing many small islands in the Pacific is spotlighted in a new report released by the UN Environment Programme today. The report, “Freshwater under Threat – Pacific Islands”, found that the almost total reliance on rain-fed agriculture across all islands puts economies and livelihoods at risk. Nearly 10% of deaths of children under five in the region is attributable to water related causes; 90% of these deaths, according to the report, can be traced to poor sanitation treatment systems. Report is available in PDF : Freshwater under Threat – Pacific Islands

		Installation and Display of giant Goddess Nüwa Sculpture in Beijing and New York in celebration of World Earth Day Beijing, 22 April 2012– The 3.9 metre high sculpture Nüwa was set up in a Beijing public park at the 2012 Earth Day series event “Green Transformation”, with the support from UNEP and Champion of the Water Alliance. Three players and official mascot of US’s Harlem Globetrotters, IUCN, Beijing Yiyuan, Earth Day Network along with other International and local groups attended the event.

VIDEO:
First AMARC Asia Pacific Community Radio Training Forum 11-13 December 2011, Bangkok, Thailand

Suman Basnet	Marcelo Solervicens	Saiful Bakhtiar	P. Krishnamurthi	Partiva Chhetri

REGIONAL EVENTS

Capacity Building Workshop on “Transition towards Resource Efficiency and a

Green Economy”, Ulanbaatar, Mongolia, 3 March 2011

UNEP and the Mongolian Ministry of Nature, Environment and Tourism (MNET)

will jointly organize a small group capacity building workshop on transition towards resource efficiency and a green economy on 3 March 2011 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. This is aimed at awareness raising and capacity building to support MNET's plan to develop a national roadmap for transition toward resource efficiency and a green economy. UNEP will also work with MNET to define the scope and the elements of the national roadmap for resource efficiency, Sustainable production and consumption and a green economy.

Workshop on Law to Promote Resource Efficiency, Sustainable Consumption

and Production and Green Economy, Hanoi, Vietnam, 4 March 2011

UNEP and the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) will jointly organize a workshop on Law to promote resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production and green economy on 4 March 2011 2011, Hanoi, Vietnam, with funding from Hanns Siedel Foundation. This is an inception workshop to launch a project in Vietnam to support the plan of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) to develop a national legal framework for promoting resource efficiency, sustainable consumption and production and a green economy.

6^th NEAYEN Regional Meet: The Road to Rio 2012: “Sustainable Lifestyles for a Green Economy”, 21-24 May 2012, Beijing, China

The Road to Rio 2012: Sustainable Lifestyles for a Green Economy is the theme of 6^th North East Asia Youth Environment Network (NEAYEN) meeting, which will take place on 21-24 May 2012 in Beijing, China. The meeting is hosted by the National Committee for theRepublic of Korea and jointly organized by UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific. It will gather young leaders from North East Asian countries and aims to foster cooperation, exchange and discussion among North East Asian youths and strengthen the capacity of these young leaders on themes and issues related to Rio+20. Themes will mirror key themes of Rio+20, the green economy in the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development and an institutional framework for sustainable development.

The meeting will provide a platform for North East Asian youth to craft a document on Rio+20 and North East Asian youth views. This document will be incorporated into an Asia Pacific Youth Rio+20 document and submitted to the 2012 summit so that their views can be heard.

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Completion Workshop for GEF/UNEP/UNU Project Sustainable Land Management in the High Pamir and Pamir-Alai Mountains

This workshop, which will take place on 22-23 May 2012 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, will summarize and present the final results as well as the achievements of this UNEP/GEF funded project, executed by the UN University in Bonn, the National Center for Mountain Region Development in Kyrgyzstan, and the Center for Support and Development of Protected Areas in Tajikistan. This transboundary initiative which started late 2007, targets sustainable land management in the High Pamir and Pamir-Alai mountains by developing capacity and investing in farmers and local partner agencies, applying adaptive research, and establishing an enabling legal and policy environment, to tackle land degradation and poverty in one of Central Asia's crucial freshwater sources and biodiversity hot-spots.

Project website: http://www.ehs.unu.edu/palm

Asia-Pacific countries strive to achieve 2013 HCFC phase-out target

Governments of Asia-Pacific are set to meet in Paro, Bhutan for the Joint Network Meeting of Ozone Officers of South Asia and South East Asia from 15-17 May followed by a workshop on Climate and Energy Use Linkages to HCFC Phase-out from 18-19 May. The meetings are organized by UNEP in cooperation with the National Environment Commission of Bhutan. The Network Meeting will discuss strategy and progress of action plans to enable countries in the region to achieve HCFC phase-out targets under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, with an emphasis on freezing production and consumption of HCFCs in developing countries by 1 January 2013. The Climate and Energy Use will explore ways to connect energy efficiency benefits with the transition to non-HCFC technologies.

Strengthening National Capacity to Plan and Manage Coastal Marine Zones: Incorporating climate change and disaster risk reduction into national spatial planning

UNEP COBSEA will conduct a regional training course on 14-18 May 2012 in Phuket, Thailand to train a team of prospective trainers from national and local governments and academic institutions from six countries to incorporate emerging issues such as climate change and disaster-risk reduction, and modern management principles such as ecosystem-based management, into their national spatial planning regimes. Participants-trainers are expected to develop a curriculum for national training courses and deliver them in their respective countries.

The Second Global Green Growth Summit

Government policymakers and experts from around the world will gather in Seoul on 11-12 May 2012 to discuss ways to strengthen international cooperation to support countries that wish to pursue green growth and green economy strategies. Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the government of the Republic of Korea will host the event with OECD and UNEP.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner, OECD Environment Director Simon Upton, GGGI Chairman Han Seung-soo, Danish Crown Prince Frederik, Kiribati's President Anote Tong and the Chairman and Chief Executive of Japan's Softbank Corp. Masayoshi Son, are key participants to the Summit.

HCFC phase-out Mangement Plan in Pacific Island Countries
UNEP is organizing a Network Meeting of Ozone Officers in the Pacific Islands in Port Villa, Vanuatu, with Vanuatu’s Department of Environmental Protection and Conservation, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources from 30 April-3 May 2012. The meeting will focus on the regional HCFCs phase-out management plan, the establishment and enforcement of HCFC import and export quota system, an update of ozone protection work at global level as well as new technologies and alternatives of HCFCs in refrigeration sector.

Urban Water Vulnerability to Climate Change in Mongolia

This study aims to present the impacts of climate change upon urban water particularly upon the performance of the urban water supply, wastewater and storm water infrastructure, through compiling exi ...

High mountain glaciers and climate change: Challenges to human livelihoods and adaptation

Climate change is causing signifcant mass loss of glaciers in high mountains worldwide. Although glacier systems show a great amount of inherent complexity and variation, there are clear overall tren ...

Global Biodiversity Outlook 3

This Outlook presents some stark choices for human societies. On one hand it warns that the diversity of living things on the planet continues to be eroded as a result of human activities. The pressu ...

HIGHLIGHTS

Announcing the 2012 World TV Awards Deadline: 16 April 2012

The Climate Neutral Network
An initiative that will assist in catalyzing a global response to the most pressing challenge of our time: global warming.

GEO-5 Products: Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment

UNEP's input to the compilation document for RIO+20

HFCs: A Critical Link in Protecting Climate and the Ozone Layer

Shenzhen Environment Outlook 2010
深圳环境展望2010

The Climate Neutral Network
An initiative that will assist in catalyzing a global response to the most pressing challenge of our time: global warming.

Announcing the 2012 World TV Awards Deadline: 1 May 2012

GEO-5 Products: Keeping Track of Our Changing Environment

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SUCCESS STORIES

Guarding the Seas with
Green Fins

Supported by UNEP, the Green Fins project encourages dive and resort operators as well as divers themselves, to adopt eco-friendly practices during their exploration of coral reefs.