Asia
Insights : Environment
Research
Institutes and Universitites
Centre
on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)
is a regional, intergovernmental and autonomous institution
established in July 1979 by the countries of Asia and the Pacific
region. The member countries of CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh
(host-state), India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal,
Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The
Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Law was established on
15 February 1996 by the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
on the initiative of the Faculty of Law and the Commission on Environmental
Law (CEL) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), in collaboration
with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
APCEL is situated in the Faculty of Law and supported by the National
University of Singapore. The Faculty of Law has established itself
as one of the best law schools in the region, with one of the leading
law libraries in the common law jurisdiction. As a premier institution,
the Faculty seeks to achieve excellence in teaching and research.
CDM
opportunities in Asia
Website of a project of the Tata Energy Research Center that examines
the potential application of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)
in Asia, and identifies greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation projects
that could be candidates for funding under the CDM. Country reports
from Indonesia, Bangaldesh, China and India can be downloaded from
the site.
Environmental
Systems Information Center (ENSIC) is based at the Asian
Institute of Technology. Aims to provide developing countries
with information on water supply, environment and sanitation. Operates
a publications, database and information service|Information services
include|(a) WWW server: information on Center and its services (including
databases below), links to related sites and Bibliographical database
(with abstracts)
Regional Institute of Environmental
Technology (Singapore)
Established since 1993 and registered in Singapore as a not-for-profit
public company, the Regional Institute of Environmental Technology
(RIET) act as an international network that: provide a forum for
dialogue and understanding on Asian environmental threats and opportunities;
conduct research on environmental policy, management and technology.
Institute
for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan
International research institute aiming to develop and formulate
environmental strategies for sustainable society. Activities include
information provision and dissemination concerning environmented
issues. IGES runs free online study courses on planning and presentations
skills related to environmental issues.
United
Nations Environment Program Regional Office for West Asia (UNEP/ROWA)
Home page for UNEP / ROWA. The office proposes to integrate the
environmental priorities and programs of West Asia with those of
the UNEP.
Community-Based
Natural Resource Management Asia (CBNRM) Virtual Resource Centre
CBNRM networking site for Asia A networking centre for those working
in CBNRM in Asia. The site includes a wide number of research papers
categorised by topic, and an extensive list of web links. The site
lists and details projects in the region.
Networks
in Asia
APRENet
is an electronic information system focused on environmental issues
in Asia-Pacific. Utilizing its on-line library, e-mail networks,
and news reports, APRENet seeks to stimulate debate and promote
regional environmental policy alternatives in the Asia-Pacific.Network
participants include analysts and activists from research institutions,
journalists, citizen groups, government, and business.Documents
available on APRENet include work by the Nautilus Institute; papers
from other researchers; official documents from the UN, APEC, national
governments; and news analysis and opinions.
ECO
ASIA (Environment Congress for Asia and the Pacific) is the
congress, which consists of high-level government officials (including
ministers), experts from international organizations and private
organizations and environment researchers in the region, where they
can freely exchange viewpoints in their personal capacities. The
purpose of ECO ASIA is to promote long-term activities for environmental
protection by governments and relevant organizations in Asia and
the Pacific Region toward the realization of sustainable development
of the Region.
ECO ASIA NET (Environmental Information Network for Asia and the
Pacific) is a databank of environmental information of 22 countries
in the Asia Pacific Region, created with the aim to support sustainable
development in the region by information sharing and dissemination.
The
International Fund for China's Environment (IFCE) is an international
environmental organization based in WashingtonDC, with branch offices
in Beijing, Shanghai and Wuhan. Founded in 1996 by a group of scientists
and professionals concerned with China's environmental problems,
IFCE aims to ensure a healthy global environment and continued economic
development by helping China solve its environmental problems.
International
Rivers Network: About Rivers and Dams
Growing evidence
shows that dams often fall short of meeting their projected benefits.
In November 2000, the World Commission on Dams released a highly
critical report showing that dams have generated less power, irrigated
less land and supplied less drinking water than projected. While
dams can prevent some floods from occurring, the WCD found that
they can also exacerbate damages suffered when floods do occur.
Projects studied by the WCD incurred an average cost overrun of
56 percent, and about half faced delays of one year or more. Learn
more about the economic, social and environmental impacts of dams.
Nordic
networks
Sustainable
development
ADB's
Water Policy
In 2001, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) outlined its vision for
integrated water management in the region in its "Water for All"
water policy. The policy recognizes the Asia and Pacific region's
need to formulate and implement integrated, cross-sectoral approaches
to water management and development.
Korea's
Green Vision 21.
Green Vision 21 was prepared
as long-term environmental policy in 1995 to improve the quality
of life by harmonizing conservation and development. The Key contents
of Green Vision 21 are to eliminate or reduce unsustainable production
and consumption patterns by the following guiding principles. Guiding
principles of the Green Visions 21: Reinforcing pollution prevention
methods rather than pollution control; Integrating environmental
and economic policy expanding and enforcing the Polluter-Pays Principle;
Implementing market-based principles; Promoting principles of openness
and participation; Promoting international cooperation.
Air
Pollution in the Megacities of Asia (APMA)
More than half of the world's population live in urban areas
in Asia. Urban air pollution in most Asian Megacities (with a population
of more than ten million) such as Beijing , Delhi and Jakarta has
worsened due to the cumulative effects of population growth, industrialisation
and increased vehicle use.
UN
Development Programme - Environment (UNDP): Monitoring progress
on sustainable development.
Global
Forest Watch: Asia , interactive regional Asia forest map.
The
Kyoto Protocol and the APEC Economies
The Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change comes into effect shortly. While developing countries
are not obliged to cut emissions during the first commitment period
(2008-2012) there are implications for economic growth in the implementation
of the Protocol.
Trade
and Environment Database (TED)-Asian Cases , In 1990, the TED
(Trade and Environment Database) projects began as an effort to
develop an inventory of case studies concerned with trade and environment
issues. The effort recognized the important problems and issues
in this area, but they lack a basis for common comparison and contrast.
To abet these efforts, since then more than 600 categorical case
studies have been undertaken and made available in print and on
a site on the World Wide Web. These cases studies are eports and
coded documents that cover 28 categories of legal, trade, geographic,
and environment information relevant to the case.
Country
Environmental Profiles
FAO
Country Profiles and Mapping Information System , The Food and
Agriculture Organization for the United Nations and its 187 members
highlight information as one of the priority areas in fighting hunger
and achieving food security. The FAO Country Profiles and Mapping
Information System is a pioneering information retrieval tool which
groups the organization's vast archive of information on its global
activities in agriculture and development in a single area and catalogues
it exclusively by country.
UNEP.Net
Country Profiles, Country profiles provide a brief overview
of the national state of the environment and of a country's international
environmental activities. The information is provided by national
representatives and is updated by each country on a regular basis.
Currently 79 profiles are complete, but some basic information is
available for all countries.
Legislation
Environmental
Treaties and Resource Indicators , a fast, convenient,
comprehensive online service for accessing multilateral environmental
treaty data. Find status data for environmental treaties, treaty
text and other related information easily. Construct custom tables
by selecting countries and treaties of interest to you.
Indian
environmental law
Sanctuary Asia, which claims to be "India's leading wildlife, conservation
and environment magazine", is a beautifully produced site that includes
a section on environmental law in India. There you can download
around a dozen acts and sets of rules.
Mekong
Region Law Center
MRLC is an "association of professionals from the legal communities
of Cambodia, Lao P.D.R., Thailand and Vietnam working together to
promote judicial cooperation, legal education and the rule of law
in the region." The linked page concerns the Agreement between the
MRLC and UNEP on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Law in
the Mekong Countries.
Vietnam
Environment Law
WWW Site maintains an FTP and web site for Vietnam environmental
legislation in English and Vietnamese.
Discussion
groups/lists
eastasia-research
Discussion list on issues relating to research on/in East Asia (China,
Japan, Taiwan..) It aims to "create a network of researchers who
are eager to share information & materials, discuss concerns
& offer advice in an informal environment". environment eastasia-research
East Asia China Japan Taiwan. To join: jiscmail@jiscmail.ac.uk with
message join eastasia-research your name.
Gaia
Forest Conservation Archives
Discussion lists and articles on forest conservation divided by
region WWW site and discussion lists maintained by Ecological Enterprises.
Include archive of news stories and articles from their discussion
lists, arranged by continent. |(b) Papua New Guinea Rainforest Campaign
News: provides in depth coverage of the efforts to conserve and
pursue sustainable development in Papua New Guinea rainforests.
To join: Discussion lists can be subscribed to via a form on the
WWW site.
S-Asia-Environ
Discussion list on environmental concerns in South Asia, including
physical, chemical, ecological, political, cultural and socio-economic
issues. [this list ceased operation in April 1997] economics|environm
S-Asia-Environ South Asia Afghanistan Pakistan India Bangladesh
Nepal Bhutan Sri Lanka Maldives Environment. To join: majordomo@columbia.edu,
with message subscribe s-asia-environ your email address
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