区域协作与环境保护

區域協作與環境保護RegionalCooperationwithReferencetoEnvironmentalProtection何建宗教授香港公開大學Prof.K.C.HoTheOpenUniversityofUniversityGlobalEnvironmentalIssueswithLocal,RegionalandWorldwideConcern:LossoflandresourcesandsoilerosionWatershortageandpollutionCoastalandmarineresourcesatriskAtmosphericpollutionConservationandbiodiversityDeteriorationofthequalityoflivingenvironmentOzoneLayerdepletionGlobalwarmingandclimatechangesDisastersLossoflandresources:In2005,over70percentoftheEarth’slandsurfacewasseverelydamagedbytheconstructionofroads,mining,urbanizationandunplannedeconomicdevelopments.LatinAmericaandtheCaribbeanregionarelikelytobethehardesthitwith>80percentofthelandaffected,closelyfollowedbyAsiaandthePacificregion.Moreover,>75percentofvaluablehabitatsaredisturbedbyhumanactivitiesincludingagricultureandurbandevelopment,resultinginthelossofbiodiversityandotherenvironmentaldamages.SoilErosion:Over10percent,between25-30millionha,oftheworld’sirrigatedlandsareclassedasseverelyderelict.Soilerosionisakeyfactorinlanddegradation.Around15percentoftheEarth’slandcoveroranareabiggerthantheUnitedStatesandMexicocombined,isnowclassedasdegradedasaresultofhumanactivities.Landdegradationmainlyresultsfromandwithwatererosionandspreadofagriculturalchemicals.Watershortageandpollution:60percentoftheworld’slargest227rivershavebeenstronglyormoderatelyfragmentedbydamsandotherengineeringworks.Halfoftheworld’sriversareseriouslydepletedandpolluted.Insomecountries,groundwaterlevelsarefallingasaresultofover-abstraction.Some80countries,amountingto40percentoftheworld’spopulation,weresufferingseriouswatershortagesbythemid-1990s.Thereareabout4billioncasesofdiarrheaand2.2milliondeathsayear,equivalentto20jumbojetscrashingeveryday.

Coastalandmarineresourcesatrisk:Dischargesofuntreatedsewageisthebiggestrisktocoastalandoceanicpollution.Aboutone-thirdoftheworld’sfishstocksarenowrankedasdepleted,overexploitedorrecoveringafterthreats,asaresultofover-fishing,harmfulalgalblooms(commonlyknownasredtides)andpollution.Otherthreatstotheoceansincludeclimatechange,oilspills,dischargesofheavymetals,persistentorganicpollutants(POPs)andlitter.Atmosphericpollution:Acidprecipitation,resultedfromemissionsofsulfurdioxides,nitrogenousoxides,carbonmonoxideandcarbondioxidefromburningoffuels,Dirtyairaffectsthehealthofhumanbeingsaswellascausingsevereecologicaldamages.Manypeopledieofrespiratorydiseasesandlungcancerduetothepollutionofambientandindoorenvironments.Thousandsoflakesintheworldhadreductionsinfishpopulationsduetoacidificationfromthe1950stothe1980s.Sourcesofairpollutantsemissionincludepowergenerationplants,industriesandvehicles.Conservationandbiodiversityloss:Forests,whichcoveraroundone-thirdoftheEarth’slandsurface(~3866millionha),havedeclinedby2.4percentsince1990.Productionofroundwoodforfuelisthemaincauseofforestlossindevelopingcountries,althoughcommercialloggingfortheconsumptionindevelopedcountriesisoftenverydestructiveMangroveforests,naturalseadefences,nurserygroundsforfishandprimenestingandrestingsitesformigratorybirds,arethreatenedTheintroductionofalienspeciesfromonepartoftheworldtoanotherhasemergedasasignificantthreatinrecentyearsalongsideclimatechange.Alienspeciesoftenhavenonaturalpredatorsintheirnewhomesandcanout-competenativespeciesforbreedingandfeedingsites.Deteriorationofthequalityoflivingenvironment:PopulationincreaseIncreasedurbanizationHousingTransportNoiseLandscapeandamenityReclamationNaturalandanthropologicalheritagesOzoneLayerdepletion:Theprotectionoftheozonelayerhasbecomeoneofthemajorchallengesoverthepast20years.InSeptember2000,theAntarcticozoneholecoveredmorethan28millionkm3.Globalwarmingandclimatechanges:Greenhousegas(CO2)emissionsareunevenlydistributedbetweencountriesandregions.OrganizationforEconomicCooperationandDevelopment(OECD)countriescontributedmorethanhalfofemissionsin1998,withapercapitaemissionofaboutthreetimestheworldaverage.ClimatechangerepresentsanimportantadditionalstressonthoseecosystemsTheUnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChangeandtheKyotoProtocolarethekeypolicyinstrumentsadoptedbytheinternationalcommunitytotrytoaddresstheproblemofgreenhousegasesemissions.

SeaLevelRiseESPOeffectsDisasters:Itisestimatedthatthenumberofpeopleaffectedbydisastersclimbedfromanaverageof147millionayearinthe1980sto211millionayearinthe1990s.Thenumberofpeopleaffectedbydisastersclimbedfromanaverageof147millionayearinthe1980sto211millionayearinthe1990s.Globalfinanciallossesfromnaturaldisasterswere,in1999,estimatedtocostashighasoverUS$100billion.Believeitornot,somescientistshaveclaimedthatthelevelofweather-relateddisastershasclimbedduetoincreasedhuman-madeemissionsintoatmosphere.Inthe1990s,90percentofthosekilledinnaturaldisasterswerevictimsofeventssuchasfloods,windstormsanddroughtswhicharecloselylinkedtorisesinwaterlevelandglobalclimatechange.THEEIGHTEENTHAPECMINISTERIALMEETING,HANOI,VIETNAM15-16November2006JOINTSTATEMENT:…..Ministersrecognizedtheimportanceofsustainabledevelopmentinmarineandcoastalresources,andtheopportunitiesthiscreatesforwealthandemploymentgenerationfrominvestmentandtrade.

TheMarineResourcesConservationWorkingGroup's(MRCWG)workonpost-tsunamieconomicactivitiesandnaturalbufferprotectionensuresgreatersustainablegrowthforaffectedareas.

Fromtheearlydays,sustainabledevelopmenthasbeenamatterofgreatconcernforAPEC.TheAPECLeaders'EconomicVisionStatementin1993stated:"Ourenvironmentisimprovedasweprotectthequalityofourair,waterandgreenspacesandmanageourenergyresourcesandrenewableresourcestoensuresustainablegrowthandprovideamoresecurefutureforourpeople".ThisStatementprovidesthemandateforAPEC'sworkonsustainabledevelopment.InMarch1994,MinistersofAPECadoptedanEnvironmentalVisionStatementandaFrameworkofPrinciplesforIntegratingEconomyandDevelopmentinAPEC.In1995,theAPECEconomicLeaders'DeclarationforActionreaffirmedtheintegrationoftheenvironmentandsustainabledevelopmentintoAPECactivities.The1996ManilaDeclarationofMinistersResponsibleforEnvironmentsketchedoutpriorityissuesconcerningsustainabledevelopmentsuchaspromotionofpublic-privatepartnership,localempowerment,sustainablecitiesandsustainablemarineenvironment.The1997APECEconomicLeadersstatedcategoricallythat"AchievingsustainabledevelopmentisattheheartofAPEC'smandate".In2004,APECfurtherenhanceditscommitmentstopursuingsustainabledevelopmentwithDeclarationoftheTourismMinisterialMeeting,JointStatementoftheMiningMinisterialMeeting,andtheScienceandTechnologyMinisterialMeeting.TheEconomicandTechnicalCooperation(ECOTECH)’smandatestates:"APECeconomieswillpursueeconomicandtechnicalco-operationinordertoattainsustainablegrowthandequitabledevelopmentintheAsia-Pacificregion".TheECOTECHagendaincludesinitiativesforpromotingandensuringsustainabledevelopmentthroughcooperativeschemes,jointresearchandtraining,sharinginformationandexperiences,andtheproliferationofbestpractices.Areasofcooperationinthecomingyears:Globalclimatechanges–withemphasesonenergypoliciesandtechnologiesofpowergeneration(compliancewiththeKyotoProtocolandtheuseofrenewableenergy)Ozonelayerdepletion–phasingoutofCFCderivativesandotherozonelayerdepletionagentsRegionalatmosphericpollution–promotionofcross-bordercontrol,cleanerproduction,environmentalfriendlytransportand“emissiontrading”Marinepollution,marinedumpingandoilspillages(e.g.compliancetoLondonConventionandtheMARPOL)Eutrophicationandharmfulalgalblooms(redtides)–reductionofnon-pointsourcepollutionespeciallythedischargeofNitrogenConservationandwildlifeprotection(e.g.enforcementoftheCITES)Promotionof“Eco-tourism”Economicdrives:PollutersPay’sPrincipleEnvironmentalManagementSystem(EMS)Eco-andEnvironmentalfriendlylabelsRe-distributionoftradesandindustriesunderwell-plannedstrategies(circulareconomy)PromotionofcleanertechnologiesBansoftoxicandharmfulsubstancesPreventionofcross-borderdisposalofwastesEnv