FORYOUTH
ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

2

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Copyright © 2019, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
Job No: DEW/2218/BA
ISBN: 978-92-807-3734-9
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I

Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Preamble

II
III		
VI		

Chapter 1 Our Earth, Our Story
1.1 No time to wait, act now!
1.2 Overcoming the challenges
1.3 Youth in Asia and the Pacific matter!

1
3
3
3

Chapter 2 Circle of Life

7		
8
8
14
19
23
30

Chapter 3 Life on the Line33

3.1 Development for wellbeing
3.2 Watering the future
3.3 Air pollution, the inescapable threat
3.4 Food for thought
3.5 Waste: not a good taste
3.6 Pollution free, the way to be

34
34
39
42
45
53

Chapter 4 Sustainability and Resilience in a Changing World

57
58
60
64
68
77

Chapter 5 Transition to Action
5.1 Our goals, our vision
5.2 Act now
5.3 Be the change you want to see in the world
List of boxes, figures and table
References

79
80
82
90
91
95

II

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICFOREWORD
The future always belongs to the next generation. Without their engagement and leadership,that future cannot be sustainable. Fortunately, young people today are more passionate andinvolved in environmental issues than any who have come before them. Not only are they
themselves taking action, they are mobilizing their families, communities and society atlarge to tackle the great environmental challenges of our time. Initiatives evolve into
leadership. This is why youth empowerment is not just a slogan but a core tenet ofenvironmental solutions.
In Asia and the Pacific particularly, we are all too familiar with the issues. Rapid economic growth, urbanization andlifestyle changes have been a boon to living standards. Yet this growth has been coupled with the unwise use ofnatural resources and a tendency to over consume. That means that environmental protection is not just thebusiness of environmentalists, but everybody. Young people understand this intuitively more than most, and thatis why, across the region, we see them disproportionately driving change.
UN Environment has recognized many of those young people working to make a difference. Through awards
such as the Young Champions of the Earth and the Asia Pacific Low-Carbon Lifestyle Challenges, UN Environmentis helping raise the profile and rights of youth to effect change. The stories of these winners reflect the creativity
and lateral thinking that continue to inspire and influence others across the generations.
Knowledge, however, remains the prerequisite for solutions. That is the premise behind the Global Environment
Outlook for Youth : Asia and the Pacific. This publication presents a clear and expansive picture of current
environmental challenges for youth and young professionals with non-environmental backgrounds. It is a jumping-off
point for those who want to do more for the planet and build their understanding of the environmental trends andchallenges in Asia and the Pacific. Whereas conventional scientific publications can be technical and difficult tounderstand, this report is designed to be more interesting and accessible to a wider, younger audience.
I hope that this publication gives young people the chance to engage with environmental topics in a substantive
way, build their knowledge and help spread an understanding of challenges that face us all. I also hope it
encourages decision makers throughout Asia and the Pacific to support and empower young people. Ultimately,
it is only with young people’s efforts that we will deliver on the 2030 Agenda.

Dechen Tsering

Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the PacificUnited Nations Environment Programme

III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Funding and in-kind support provided by:
Tongji University

Elion Foundation

Ministry of the Environment and Water Resource of Singapore

Korea Environment Institute

Korea University

Institute for Global Environmental Strategies

Authors Teams
Coordinating Lead Author: Ying Wang (Tongji University, China)
Chapter 1:
Lead Author: Aruna Dias (Cardinia Shire Council, Australia), Mei Lin Neo (National University of Singapore, Singapore),
Jiyoon Song (Korea Environment Institute, Republic of Korea)
Contributing Authors: Kavinda D. Ratnapala (Monash University, Australia), Ronghan Xu (National Satellite
Meteorological Center, China)
Chapter 2:
Lead Author: Christmas Baduria de Guzman (Asia Pacific Network, Japan), Mei Lin Neo (National Universityof Singapore, Singapore), Jieun Ryu (Korea University, Republic of Korea)
Contributing Authors: Tai Chong Toh (National University of Singapore, Singapore)IV

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Chapter 3:
Lead Author: Hezron Gibe (University of the Philippines, Philippines), Akshay Jain (Centre of Innovation, Singapore),
Jose Isagani B. Janairo (De La Salle University, Philippines), Tomoko Takeda (Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies, Japan)
Contributing Authors: Aruna Dias (Cardinia Shire Council, Australia), Tomoko Hasegawa (National Institute forEnvironmental Studies, Japan), Mei Lin Neo (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Everlyn Tamayo(University of the Philippines, Philippines), Hyeonju Ryu (United Nations University, Japan), Sheryl Rose Reyes(United Nations University - Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, Japan)
Chapter 4:
Lead Authors: Aruna Dias (Cardinia Shire Council, Australia), Brian Johnson (Institute for Global Environmental
Strategies, Japan), Neil Stephen A. Lopez (De La Salle University, Philippines), Jiyoon Song (Korea Environment
Institute, Republic of Korea), Yuta Uchiyama (Tohoku University, Japan)
Contributing Authors: Michael Boyland (Stockholm Environment Institute-Asia Centre, Thailand), Karlee Johnson(Stockholm Environment Institute-Asia Centre, Thailand), Jinsun Lim (Korea Environment Institute, Republic ofKorea), Jieun Ryu (Korea University, Republic of Korea), Jimwell Soliman (De La Salle University, Philippines), Ai
Tashiro (Tohoku University, Japan), Le Thi Thanh Thuy (International Union for Conservation of Nature, Viet Nam)
Chapter 5:
Lead Authors: Christmas Baduria De Guzman (Asia Pacific Advanced Network, Japan), Akshay Jain (Centre of
Innovation, Singapore), Neil Stephen A. Lopez (De La Salle University, Philippines), Tomoko Takeda (Institute for
Global Environmental Strategies, Japan)
Contributing Authors: Jinsun Lim (Korea Environment Institute, Republic of Korea), Martina de Marcos(Edge Environment, Australia), Jaee Sanjay Nikam (World Wide Fund For Nature, India), Kavinda D. Ratnapala(Monash University, Australia), Jimwell Soliman (De La Salle University, Philippines), Sanjana Singh (United Nations
University, Japan)
Editor: Bartholomew Ullstein (Banson, United Kingdom)
Visual Authors: Tianlin Deng (Greenment Environment Co. Ltd, China), Zipei Liu (LaSalle College Vancouver,
Canada), Huynh Thanh Hang (SNV Netherland Development Organisation, Vietnam)
Visual Art Advisor: Jim Toomey (Cartoonist, USA)Media Advisor: David Paul Fogarty (The Straits Times, Singapore)
Special Support: Yupu Ding (EUQA, USA), Zilin Huang (EUQA, USA)

V

Reviewers: Jheel Bastia (United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, Japan),
Michael Boyland (Stockholm Environment Institute-Asia Centre, Thailand), Christina D. Cayamanda (De La Salle
University, Philippines), Mylene G. Cayetano (University of the Philippines-Institute of Environmental Science andMeteorology, Philippines), Dian Ekowati (Center for International Forestry Research, Indonesia), Akshay Jain (Centre
for Innovation, Singapore), Karlee Johnson (Stockholm Environment Institute-Asia Centre, Thailand), Fikadu Degefa
Kene (Tongji University, China), Md Iqbal Raja Khan (International Rice Research Institute, China), Peter King
(Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, Thailand), Thomas Kennett (Monash University, Australia), Thuy
Duong Khuu (University College London, Britain), Hyemin Ha (Korea Environment Institute, Korea), Nguyen Chu Hoi(Vietnam National University, Viet Nam), Youngran Hur (UN Environment Asia-Pacific Office, Thailand), AshleighMorris (The Circular Experiment, Australia), Justin McCann (University of New South Wales, Australia), Jaee Nikam(World Wide Fund for Nature, India), Lubelihle Marcia Nyathi (Tongji University, China), Mai Tra Ny (Center for
Planning and Integrated Coastal Management,Viet Nam), Mei Lin Neo (National University of Singapore, Singapore),
Kavinda Ratnapala (Monash University, Australia), Hyeonju Ryu (National Institute of Forest Science, Republic ofKorea),Hana Shin (Korea Environment Institute, Republic of Korea), Marta Ruiz Salvago (Asian Institute ofTechnology, Thailand), Ying Su (Tongji University, China), Annette Wallgren (UN Environment Asia Pacific, Thailand),Poh Poh Wong (University of Adelaide, Australia), Takuya Wakimoto (IHI Corporation, Japan), Ronghan Xu (National
Satellite Meteorological Center, China), Jian Zuo (The University of Adelaide, Australia)

UN Environment Team
Overall coordination: Jiaqi Shen, Panvirush Vittayapraphakul, Jinhua Zhang
Support: Pierre Boileau, Satwant Kaur (up to April 2018), Thomas Hodge, Youngran Hur, Isabelle Louis,
Imae Mojado, Peerayot Sidonrusmee, Dechen Tsering, Annette Wallgren, Makiko Yashiro,Partners’ Support Team:
Tongji University, China: Fengting Li, Jiang Wu
Elion Foundation, China: Pengfei He, Jialin He, Zhimin Yan
Korea University: Seongwoo Jeon, Woo-Kyun Lee
Korea Environment Institute: Hoon Chang, Hyun-Woo Lee, Jun Hyun Park
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies: Hideyuki Mori

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

PREAMBLE
The environmental landscape is changing rapidly, and the youth of today face a suite of both challenges andopportunities. As the human population increases, the decline in natural resources is accelerating at an
unsustainable rate. At the same time, new frontiers are being explored to improve people’s relationship withthe environment and ambitious goals have been developed for transforming the world into a better place.

Figure 1: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by
the United Nations member countries in 2015

As a guiding principle in this journey towards sustainable development, 193 United Nations (UN) member
countries agreed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in 2015. Recognizing that a healthy andwell-functioning environment is critical to achieving social and economic development of humankind, thisuniversal and ambitious global plan outlines a set of 17 goals, 169 targets and 230 indicators, the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). The UN, together with global leaders, governments, businesses and civil society
are making every effort to achieve the 17 SDGs (Figure 1).

VIISo, how can the youth of today be part of this global movement towards sustainable development?
How are the SDGs relevant to the personal lives of young people?
Today’s youth serve as vital agents of change in business and industry, science and technology, government andeducation. Vibrant, energetic and enthusiastic, young people are also a critical pool of change makers. They needto make the right choices to ensure prosperity, opportunities and well-being, as well as to secure a future for
their families.
An environmental publication for youth in Asia and the PacificThis publication aims to reach out to young people in Asia and the Pacific – tertiary students, young adults andearly career professionals. It is intended to enhance their knowledge of three primary subjects – the naturalenvironment, human health and the built environment – to promote a better understanding of the region’s emerging
environmental issues, their causes and effects.

Box 1: GEO for youth – Asia and the Pacific• Chapter 1 elaborates the context of the Asia-Pacific region and the crucial role of youth in addressing
regional environmental challenges.
• Chapter 2 presents the benefits derived from nature and demonstrates the critical role of healthy
ecosystems in contributing to human survival and well-being.
• Chapter 3 explores emerging issues of air and water pollution, food security and the effects ofmismanaged waste on human well-being. This chapter advocates a balance between environmental
wellbeing and economic development.
• Chapter 4 addresses the natural and built environments, outlining options for a resilient andsustainable future.
• Chapter 5 concludes the report by highlighting youth action for a better future, including a specificsurvey conducted for this report of youth, for youth and by youth.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Another ambitious goal of this publication is to empower young people to become involved in action anddecision making to better protect the natural environment, improve human health, and create more sustainable
and resilient cities and towns. And because all the Earth’s systems are linked, these environmental challenges
are also connected to one another. The report addresses how these issues are linked, why youth should careabout the environment and why they should act right now.
“Only if we understand, can we care. Only if we care, we will help. Only if we help, we shall be saved.”
Jane Goodall, UN Messenger of Peace, Primatologist and Anthropologist

1

CHAPTER

1

Our
Earth,
Our
Story

2

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

1

4

2

5

3

Illustrations and story by
Zheren Tang.

Since the appearance of humans on Earth, the young and loving Mother Earth has work diligently to nurturethem. Over time, she witnessed the advancement of human intelligence, the progression of science andtechnology, as well as a deterioration of the environment.
Driven by the need to thrive and prosper, humans relentlessly took resources from her. As the years passed,
Mother Earth gradually became old and wrinkled, and her hair turned from black to white. Eventually,
her body could no longer take the beating of the humans’ exploitation. Mother Earth fell ill – her lungs,
the forests; blood, the oceans; and kidneys, wetlands became seriously damaged. She was in bad shape.
Seeing how sick Mother Earth had become, people young and old began to reflect on their poor behaviour,
and, step by step, started to take positive action to save her. Slowly but surely, Mother Earth’s healthrecovered. People reflected, “Mother Earth, you have raised and cared for us for so long; now it is ourturn to protect you”.
The stewardship of the environment requires long-term commitment. Everyone needs to take an activerole at home, in their communities and workplaces to secure the future on this one planet, Earth.

Figure 2: Mother Earth and us

CHAPTER 1: OUR EARTH, OUR STORY

1.1 No time to wait, act now!
In many communities around the globe there is a lackof care or understanding of environmental issues
that are essential to human existence. These include
climate change bringing global warming andunpredictable weather patterns that in turn lead tofood and water shortages, the deterioration of air
quality as a result of urban pollution, and species
extinctions and loss of biodiversity caused by humandevelopment since the Industrial Revolution thatbegan 200 years ago. As a result of inaction, theissues are becoming more severe and the numberof deaths attributable to a poor environmental
conditions continue to increase.
In Asia and the Pacific, there are a number of
threatening environmental issues – air and waterpollution, deforestation and loss of biodiversity, rapid
rural-to-urban migration, food shortages, increased
frequency of extreme weather events and poor waste
management. Environmental action and sustainable
life choices have the potential to lessen the intensityof these issues. Young people have the capacity
and have a responsibility to influence and promote
environmentally positive outcomes, stimulating thesocial and political changes needed to mitigate thesesevere environmental issues.

1.2 Overcoming the challenges
Asia and the Pacific, comprising 41 countries (UNEP2016), supports a vast diversity of cultures, people,
landscapes and natural resources. It is the mostpopulous region in the world, and although it occupies
only 30 per cent of the world’s land mass, the region

3

supports 60 per cent of the global population (UNEP2016). Over the past 50 years, the region’s population
has grown and gained economic momentum (IMF2018), with many countries in the region considerably
improving the standards of living of their citizens.
This progress, however, has come at the expense of
the region’s natural resources and its vulnerable
communities. Figure 3 provides an overview of thecontemporary potential and challenges faced by
Asia and the Pacific.
With almost half of the world’s young people calling
the Asia-Pacific region their home (UN-DESA 2017),
the potential revolution they can bring about equates
to an undeniable force in the race to address urgent
environmental issues and drive sustainable development.
Whatever their personal reality, the youth of the region
are influential members in their own communities,
have the ability to promote positive environmental
outcomes through their daily lives, and be agents ofchange. Each and every young person must assume
a mindset that promotes environmental stewardshipto make both local and far-reaching changes that
address the planet’s environmental challenges. This
will help to ensure that both their own and future
generation’s needs can be met (Brundtland 1987).

1.3 Youth in Asia and the Pacific matter!
The concerns and responsibilities of youth play a vitalrole in the health of the planet and are influenced by
the environmental conditions they have inherited fromtheir parents. With their life expectancy forecast to belonger than their parents, today’s young people face
the very real threat that the environment they will
live in will be unhealthy and so damaged that their

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

3rdlargestSoutheast Asia contains the third largest
forest area in the world (740 million hectares)
and an abundance of biodiversity-rich sites(FSC Asia Pacific Blog 2018).

The illegal trade in wildlife in Asia and the Pacific is a
USD 2.4 billion industry; it is driving a broad range of
species towards extinction. (UNODC 2018).

The exclusive economic zones and theconnecting high seas of 15 island statesin the Pacific represent the world’s
largest conservation area (Govan 2017).

Increased sea-surface temperatures caused
widespread coral bleaching in 1998, 2010, and 2016
(Hughes et al. 2018). The largest coral reefin the world, the Great Barrier Reef lost one-third ofits corals in 2016-2017 (Hughes et al. 2018).
Asia and the Pacific continues to be the world's
most disaster-prone region – in 2015, 47 per centof the world's 344 disasters took place in the region(UNESCAP 2016).

Mass rural-urban
migration propagatesurban sprawl and thegrowth of cities. Urban
populations in Asia willmore than double by
2050 (UN 2018).
The region experienced
the world's largest risein income inequality
between the early
1990s and the 2010s(UNESCAP 2018).
Although Asia’s
population accounts for
60 per cent of the world’s
population, it has lessdrinking water – 3 920
cubic meters per person
per year – than any
continent other than
Antarctica, resulting insignificant health issues(Asia Society 2018).

Population growth andintense competition for
finite resources will affectfood and water security
within the region(UN 2018).

Asia’s cities are fast becoming
centres of higher education,
innovation and technologicaldevelopment (ADB 2018).

Asia-Pacific accounts for
60 per cent of the world’s
economic growth, more thanany other region (Rumney,2017).

The size of the labour force
doubled between 1980s andearly 2000s worldwide, withhalf of this increase comingfrom Asia (Freeman 2010).

Trade and rapid technologicalprogress continue to support
rising standards of living.
Asia's gross domestic product(GDP) will increase from USD
17 trillion in 2010 to
USD 174 trillion by 2050.

In 2014, Asia and thePacific emitted 33% of
global emissions of carbon
dioxide (CO2), and without
significant changes, theregion is on track to emit
45 per cent by 2030
(ADB 2012; Dixon 2016).
The climate changebrought about significant
economic costs related
to disaster. Disasterdamage to property, crops
and livestock increased
from USD 52 billion
annually to over
USD 523 billion between
1970 and 2015.
(UNESCAP 2016)

Figure 3: Summary of the economic, social and environmental potential
and challenges in Asia and the PacificCHAPTER 1: OUR EARTH, OUR STORY

quality of life will be reduced. Fortunately, young
people have a special talent for innovation and thedevelopment of new forms of action and activism.
This will allow them to generate more effective
responses to environmental issues and createstronger opportunities for change.
The power of youth
Today's young people form the backbone that
supports communities and civil society. They are bestplaced to notice new problems quickly, blaze trails
at the grassroots, and bring about urgent societal
change that will be of tremendous value to local
communities. Civic education and voting are otherpriorities, as they instil common values and a senseof social and civic rights and obligations (Shaw et al.
2014; World Bank 2007). Remember, the voice of youth
matters. Young people should be heard – throughactivism, volunteerism, engagement and civic
participation, everyone can be an active member of
their own community (UN-DESA 2016). Passionate
young people will drive the shift towards environmental
sustainability in Asia and the Pacific.
Getting involved
Youth can offer new perceptions and pioneeringsolutions in policy dialogues or as representatives inlocal or national decision-making bodies (UNDP 2013).
Getting involved in democratic processes upholds
young people’s rights and allows opportunities to steer
development towards environmental sustainability(World Bank 2007). Today’s young people are better
informed than ever before and are capable of creating
ingenious solutions and applying technology,

5such as social media and crowdsourcing platforms(UN-DESA 2016). Indeed, the proactive participationof youth in the deliberations around the United Nations
Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is now
supporting its implementation. As prospective leadersof Asia and the Pacific, their skills and capacities are
crucial to the transformational change that is requiredin the region (Palanivel et al. 2016).
Championing leaders of change
Young people can make development moreenvironmentally sustainable and inclusive. It makes
sound economic sense for governments across Asiaand the Pacific to develop national youth policies andcommit themselves to investing more in youth(UNICEF 2013). This may involve strengthening
environmental sustainability education, supporting
initiatives that promote youth empowerment, creating
opportunities for young people to contribute to thedevelopment process or advancing the role of youth
leaders in decision making. The bottom line is thatgovernments can start building the next generationof responsible leaders, who will act as positive agentsof change and partners in achieving the SDGs
(Billimoria 2016).
Taking the next step...
So, imagine a world in which everyone wakes up in
the morning, has access to safe drinking water, cooks
meals with fresh vegetables and takes deep breathsof clean air on the commute to work. We can all enjoy
this fundamental quality of life by making conscious
decisions in our everyday lives that support positiveenvironmental and health outcomes. The youth of

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

today are key actors in shaping the future environmentand can still change our future towards happy andhealthy lives. The Earth is at risk and waiting for us
to take action; collectively we can help to give Mother
Earth a fighting chance.

7

CHAPTER

2

CircleofLife

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

2.1 Nature’s gifts
The Asia-Pacific region contains exceptionally richbiodiversity. The tropical rainforests of Southeast
Asia, the reefs of the Coral Triangle, temperate forests
and the large Mekong river basin are all found in
the region and are regarded as among the most
biodiverse and valuable on Earth. The region also
encompasses many different ecoregions and biomesthat harbour dramatically distinct assemblages ofplants and animals. Sadly, the Asia-Pacific region isfacing unprecedented declines in biodiversity andnatural environments. Protecting and conserving
these natural resources that contribute to humanwellbeing is urgent.
This chapter highlights the social, economic andbiological values of Earth systems to human wellbeing.
It presents the reasoning on how people reap abundant
benefits from nature and showcases four systems:
land, freshwater, coastal and marine, and urban(Figure 4). Through featuring real-life examples,the chapter also aims to show how nature is vitalto human wellbeing.

2.2 Land systems: seeds of life
Our society, culture and way of life are intertwined withthe land systems – forests, trees, plants and soil.
The increasing recognition of their value in Asia andthe Pacific is due to the invaluable ecosystem goods
and services they provide, upon which people depend.
Land systems in the region can be grouped according tosuch functions as production, recreation, conservationand protected areas or landscapes. Each provides
various benefits to people and are vital to the achievementof the SDGs, contributing to food security, eradicating
poverty, improving rural livelihoods, conserving
biological diversity and the overall functioning of
ecosystems, and increasing the planet’s resilience
to anthropogenic changes.
Forests are reservoirs for wildlife and people
Forests are one of the most biologically rich terrestrial
systems. Tropical, temperate and boreal forests
provide diverse habitats for plants, animals andmicroorganisms, and host the vast majority of theworld's terrestrial species (ACB 2011). Due toabundant rainfall and warm temperatures, the vast
tropical forests of Southeast Asia (Box 2), forinstance, support ecologically, economically andscientifically valuable diverse plants and animals.
Also, tropical forests in the Asia-Pacific region
contribute significantly to the global food supply
through the production of fruit and vegetables pollinatedby bees (Box 3), birds and bats. These pollinators
shape 35 per cent of the world’s crop production andaffect production of 87 of the leading food crops
worldwide, as well as many plant-derived medicines.
However, the sustainability of this food supply is being
threatened due to the decline in populations ofpollinator species. In 2016, the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) reported that 16.5 per cent ofvertebrate pollinators globally are threatened withextinction due to land-use change, intensive agricultural
management and pesticide use, environmental
pollution, invasive alien species, pathogens andclimate change (IPBES 2016). It has been shown thatpristine forests provide greater availability of foodCHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

Carbonsinks
Rich anddiversebiodiversity

Safe
drinking
water

Freshwater
systems

Rich anddiversebiodiversity

Coastal andmarinesystems

NATURALRESOURCE
SECURITY

Rich anddiversebiodiversity

Coral
bleaching

Cultural
services

Urban
systems

CLIMATECHANGE“Naturalised”
urban
citiesSUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITIESMultifunctionallandscapingLandsystems
Carbonsequestration

ECOLOGICALBENEFITSHUMANHEALTH AND
WELL BEING

Figure 4: Earth’s natural systems have provided people with huge numbers of resources, which, inturn, support human health and well-being. The four systems – land, freshwater, coastal and marine,
and urban – are important foundations supporting sustainable communities, providing natural
resource security, mitigating climate change, and delivering bountiful ecological benefits

910

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 2: Forest gardeners
In Southeast Asia, the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) is an important species thatlives in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. They eat fruit from the trees andspread the seeds as they travel considerable distances through the forests, helping tomaintain the rainforests’ biodiversity (Campbell-Smith et al. 2011). These orangutans
also are of great cultural importance and are considered iconic in Southeast Asia.
Across Southeast Asia, governments have protected 18 per cent of the remaining
tropical moist forest. Nonetheless the forests and their wildlife are increasingly threatened by conversion toagriculture, increasing global demand for palm oil and other anthropogenic factors. On the Indonesian islandsof Borneo and Sumatra, the expansion of oil palm plantations is a huge challenge as it brings about forest,
land and soil degradation.
Orangutan Rehab Centre, Sumatra
Source: Dave59, UNEP

Box 3: Bees, give me honey!
Bees are more than pollinators, they make honey – a highly nutritious food andin some communities a valuable medicine. But bees can also contribute to local
social and economic interactions. Beekeeping can be a major source of income
for those who have limited options for making money, such as the farmers fromhigh altitude areas in Jumla District of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. These
farmers do not have enough productive land for growing rice so they barterhoney for rice, other food and household items, and renting farmland in lower
altitude areas (Partap et al. 2014).

Beekeeper
Source: Kaipara Flats, unsplash

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

products than secondary or degraded forests,
as well as the vital link between biodiversity andpollination service (Hicks et al. 2014).
Soaking up carbon dioxide and water
Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), the maingreenhouse gas, from the air, then store the carbon (C)in soil and release the oxygen (O) to create the air thathumans breathe. It has been shown that by conserving
forests in the tropics, total global CO2 emissions canbe reduced by 8 per cent, helping to mitigate theimpact of climate (Figure 5).

Feeling down? Go forest bathing!
Forests are important areas for recreation, aesthetic
appreciation and stress relief, all of which are of great
importance to the health and well-being of people. The
experience of forest bathing reduces the possibility ofmental illness and depression (Bratman et al. 2015),
as well as improving the quality of life and stress(Yu et al. 2016). In Japan, a study showed that forest
bathing trips significantly improve human immunity
functions in both male and female subjects (Li 2010).
These all shows that forests provide intangible orimmaterial values to human health, and thisconnection to nature has been termed biophilia.

Oxygen8%

Total global CO2
emissions reduced by
8 per cent throughconserving forestsin the tropics.

75%

Forests provide 75 per centof world’s accessible
freshwater for agricultural,
domestic, urban, industrial,and environmental uses

CarbondioxideCarbon11

Figure 5: Planting and growing trees is one of the cheapest and most effective ways ofsoaking up excess CO2 from the atmosphere and is key to achieving sustainable
and secure water supplies

12

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 4: Reafforestation in the Kubuqi Desert
About a third of the Kubuqi Desert, the seventh largest in China, has beentransformed into viable green oasis by a public-private-local community
partnership. Over 30 years, Elion Resources Group and its partners havereforested more than 6 200 square kilometres (km2) the desert, helping morethan 100 000 farmers and herdsmen out of poverty, and creating more than
USD 74 billion of ecological wealth and natural capital (UNEP 2017).
Kubuqi Desert
Source: Elion Group

Biophilia – the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.
The biophilia hypothesis suggests that humans have the innate tendency to seek out connections with natureand other forms of life, to satisfy the human craving for aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual
meaning and satisfaction (Wilson 1984)
Watch a talk by Ming Kuo on Vitamin N (nature)!
A video link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGh8CqS4HLk

As the demands of economic development rise, forest
areas in Asia and the Pacific are increasingly threatened(Box 2). One way to combat forest loss and degradationis the establishment of policy instruments and initiatives
that protect them. According to the Intergovernmental
Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES), between 1990 and 2015 forest
cover in Northeast Asia rose by 12.9 per cent andby 5.8 per cent in South Asia as a result of joint
participatory management, payment for ecosystemservices and restoration of degraded forests.
Programmes such as the Payment for Ecosystem

Services (PES) mechanism allow governments and theprivate sector to allocate money to land owners andlocal communities living in and around forest
landscapes to restore and protect their forests. As
a result, farmers in China, for example, are paid by
the government to restore forest lands (Yang andLu 2018).
Satoyama - Yes, in my backyard!
Terrestrial areas of high conservation value provide
a myriad of benefits to local communities. Some

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

protected areas in the region, such as a number of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Heritage Sites, consist of pristine forests and otherterrestrial landscapes, distinct from human-modified
habitats. However, this classification of protected area
has gradually transitioned into socio-ecologicalproduction landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS)
characterized by a diversity of land uses that offer
more options and opportunities for local sustainability(Cumming 2011). These are multi-functional landscapes,

13

which are essential for community wellbeing andinherently resilient to external shocks and stresses fromlong-term interactions between nature and people(Takeuchi 2016). The concept of SEPLS is related to theconcept of community forestry in Lao PDR, Myanmar,
and Thailand, the main objectives of which are to
1. improve local livelihoods;
2. reduce deforestation and improve forest quality; and3. strengthen good governance.

Did you know?
In Japan, a place where nature and people exist in harmony is called Satoyama. You can view a casestudy showing how homegardens can be resilient agro-ecosystems and offer multi-functional uses at:
A video link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtF0R2JXAQ8

Box 5: Homegardens – special food production systems
A study in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka showed that between 1961 and 2010 the composition ofhomegardens had not changed despite evidence of climate change (APN, 2010). Homegarden ecosystems
seem to be resilient to climate change due to the use of efficient and effective adaptation strategies bygardeners. These enabled gardeners to maintain diversity and rely on their produce for household foodsecurity. Their strategies include changing planting dates, use of traditional agronomic practices, use of soil
and water conservation measures and irrigation technology as well as planting new vegetable varieties.
Homegardens house a lot of species in relatively small areas and have complex structures which play animportant role in biodiversity conservation including soil animals, insects and birds. In Japan, homegardens
facilitate a food sharing culture which contributes to enhancing resilience against socio-economic changes
and natural disasters (Saito et al. 2018).

14

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

2.3 Freshwater systems: fountains of life
Freshwater systems are vital resources with specificecosystem functions that offer benefits to humanneeds, agriculture, industrial production, culturalactivities and conserving ecosystems (Figure 6; Sandin
and Solimini 2009; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Board 2005). These systems, which include rivers,

Water Quality
Regulation

lakes, marshes, and rice fields, vary greatly acrossthe Asia-Pacific region. Even though the region
has 38 per cent of the world’s share of renewablefreshwater resources, it supports about 60 per centof the world’s population (UNEP-WCMC 2016).
Therefore, in many areas around the region there
is intense competition for available water supplies(WWF-ADB 2012).

Water Quantity
Regulation

Habitatconservation

Ecosystem
Function

Food

Drinking

Medicines

Power

Provisioning
Services

Ecosystem
Services

Water filtration

Buffering of floods

Regulatory
Services
Recreation
Cultural Services

Figure 6: Freshwater systems provide ecosystem functions such as regulating water
quantity and quality, supporting habitats and biodiversity, and maintaining the equilibrium ofphysiological processes (Grizzetti et al. 2016; Sandin and Solimini 2009). These systems
provide a variety of ecological benefits that are directly and indirectly linked to human survival

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

Access to clean drinking water
Safe drinking water is essential for people (Kumpel
et al. 2018), and this aligns closely with SDG 6: Clean
water and sanitation. People need to drink water daily
for homeostasis (i.e. steady internal conditions) andto sustain the cells that make up the human body
(Gleick 2009; Institute of Medicine 2005). To maintainthe body’s water balance, a daily water intake of 3.7 litresby adult men and 2.7 litres by women is needed by thevast majority of people (Sawka et al. 2005).
In Asia and the Pacific, almost 554 million people,
12.5 per cent of all Asians, do not have access tosafe drinking water. A major challenge for the regionis the contamination of freshwater resources that
leads to infections, parasitic and other diseases that
disproportionately affect very young children (World
Health Organisation 2016; Singh et al. 2001; Rahman
et al. 1997). The burden of water-related disease isextremely high in the region – 30 per cent of the Southand Southeast Asia populations are estimated to use
drinking water contaminated by human faeces (Bainet al. 2014). Fortunately, since the 1990s, the cleanwater supply ratio in Asia and the Pacific has increased
significantly, but the supply of drinking water in urban
and rural areas in the same country often varies
considerably (Figure 7; UNICEF 2017).
Water supports economic activities
Gross domestic product (GDP) growth rates ofcountries in Asia and the Pacific are increasing rapidly(Asia-Pacific Water Forum 2018). Here, the GDP atmarket prices refers to the expenditure on final goods
and services minus imports (OECD 2018), and the15

agricultural and manufacturing sectors account formost of it (Statista 2018). These sectors include therunning of power plants, the production of paper andpulp, chemicals and the electrical and electronic
industries, which in turn support employment. These
sectors all have a common need for a regular supply offreshwater to manufacture products and grow crops.
So, exactly how much water is being used for
production in each industry? This can be quantified
using an index called the water footprint. It is an
integrated representation of water used and consumed
by individuals, businesses, regions, countries or
throughout the workplace. This is based on the Water
Footprint Network (http://waterfootprint.org/en/
water-footprint) guidelines and the international
standardization of the International Organizationfor Standardization (ISO) (Figure 8).
In developing Asia, approximately one-third of thelabour force depends on agriculture as the main sourceof their livelihoods, but in high income countries lessthan 5 per cent are employed by this sector (ADB
2016). To support the agriculture sector, irrigation isthe dominant use of water, accounting for more than90 per cent of total water withdrawals in many of theregion’s countries, most notably in India and Pakistan(Galang 2016). A major crop grown in Asian countries,
particularly in China and India, is rice as it is not only
the staple food, but also the major economic crop
(Venkatesh 2016). For example, rice production has
helped alleviate poverty in Bangladesh through theprovision of jobs and income for rural communities(Sayeed and Mohammad Yunus 2018).

16

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation
100

Suface water

SERVICE LEVELDEFINITIONSURFACE WATER

Drinking water directly from a river, dam, lake,
pond, stream, canal or irrigation canal

UNIMPROVED

Drinking water from an unprotected dug wellor unprotected spring

20

LIMITED

Drinking water from an improved water source
for which collection time exceeds 30 minutes
for a round trip, including queuing

0

BASIC

Drinking water from an improved water source,
provided collection time is not more than
30 minutes for a round trip, including queuing

Unimproved

80

Limited
Basic

60

Safely managed

40

Total

Rural

Urban

Drinking water from an improved water source
SAFELY MANAGED that is located on premises, available whenneeded and free from faecal and priority
chemical contamination

Drinking water

Note: improved sources include: piped water, boreholes or tubewells,
protected dug wells, protected springs, and packaged or delivered
water.
100

Open defecation
Unimproved

80

Limited
Basic

60

Safely managed

SERVICE LEVEL
OPEN
DEFECATION

Disposal of human faeces in elds, forests,
bushes, open bodies of water, beaches orother open spaces, or with solid waste

UNIMPROVED

Use of pit latrines without a slab or platform,
hanging latrines or bucket latrines

LIMITED

Use of improved facilities shared between
two or more households

BASIC

Use of improved facilities that are not sharedwith other households

SAFELY MANAGED

Use of improved facilities that are not sharedwith other households and where excreta aresafely disposed of in situ or transported andtreated osite

40
20
0

Total

Rural

Sanitation

DEFINITION

Urban

Note: improved facilities includes flush/pour flush to piped sewer
systems, septic tanks or pit latrines; ventilated improved pit latrines,
composting toilets or pit latrines with slabs.

Figure 7: Trends for 2000–2015 showing the usage status for drinking water and sanitation for
urban, rural and total populations in Asia and the Pacific (UNICEF 2017)

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

17

650

650

1400

2500

750

650

BarleyWheat

Sorghum

Italian millet

Sugar cane

Bread

4650

90

840

1000

2500

Litres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

2500

BurgerLitres per 500 grams

Litres per 500 grams

Beef cattle

Litres per 500 grams

Tea

Litres per 500 grams

CoffeeLitres per 500 grams

Milk

Litres per 500 grams

CheeseFigure 8: A summary of the water footprints of major agricultural products

Buffering against floods
Floods are caused by heavy rainfall, severe winds overwater, unusually high tides, tsunamis, or the failure ofdams, levees, retention ponds or other structures used
to contain water. The Asia-Pacific region is known to beprone to natural disasters (UNESCAP 2016), which cancause substantial loss and damage. For instance, theloss and damage from flood events are immense forpoor communities in Nepal, a nation that experiences
frequent floods due to its varied topography andtorrential rain during monsoon seasons (Devkot andKarmacharya 2014). Since 1980, national estimatesindicate that flood events in Nepal have on averageeach killed about 200 people (UNDP 2009).

Freshwater bodies, floodplains, wetlands (Figure 9)
and river zones, not only function as habitats; they
are also effective natural flood controls (Palmer andRichardson 2009; Millennium Ecosystem Assessment
Board 2005). Each habitat regulates the rate ofwater flow from land to freshwater bodies, and thevegetation on intact floodplains and along riverbanks
act as buffers against floods. Without these flood
control services, the frequency and magnitude offlooding are greatly increased (Box 6; Palmer andRichardson 2009).

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Rain strom

Werlands
FLOW RATE

18

No Werlands

TIME
This diagram indicates that wetlands reduce peak stormwater flows.
Source: Kusler 1983

Dissipates
streamenergyContaminants
and sedimentare filtered

Providescritical wildlife
habitatGroundwaterflow

Bacteria
break down
contaminants

Saturated peat
stores water

Slow releaseof stored water

Cleaner water
outflow

Stream

How wetlands work

Figure 9. Wetlands serve as important habitats and provide a range of ecological services topeople (Gregg and Wheeler 2018; ADB 2016). In particular, they provide important naturalcontrols against floods (Kadykalo and Findlay 2016). Wetlands are natural reservoirs that act
just like sponges, storing water and buffering against flood damage (Kusler and Riexinger 1986)

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE19

Box 6: Preserving wetlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka’s Colombo metropolitan area, which is flood-prone, has about 2 000 hectares of wetlands, but about
23.5 hectares are disappearing each year. Funds from Japan’s Policy and Human Resources Development
Fund (PHRD Grant) and the Global Facility for Disaster Risk and Reduction (GFDRR) have supported studies
on flood mitigation and urban wetland design. Now, with the World Bank’s support, the Colombo local
government has created its first Policy and Human Resources Development Fund (MCUDP) to protect andrestore Beddagana Wetland Park.
According to the plan, almost 2.8 million people living and working in Colombo will benefit directly andindirectly and the project is also expected to generate revenues of approximately USD 13.6 million throughrecreational facilities provided by wetlands.

2.4 Coastal and marine systems: sea of life
The coastal and marine systems of Asia and thePacific are among the most productive and dynamic
habitats in the world and provide a wide range ofservices to people (Laurans et al. 2013; Brander
et al. 2012; Fortes 1991). Some of the world’s mostoutstanding coastal areas found in the region include
the reefs of the Coral Triangle (Foale et al. 2013) andthe mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in the Bay of
Bengal (Perry 2011). Ecosystem goods and services
provided by these different coastal habitats are
estimated to have a natural capital value of up to
USD 7.7 billion dollars (UNEP/COBSEA 2010). However,this natural capital may be endangered endangered by
rapid economic and population growth (IPBES 2018).
The wealth of coastal and marine ecosystems
The Asia-Pacific region is widely recognized as having

the world’s richest coastal and marine biodiversity(UNDP 2014). For example, the Coral Triangle of
5.7 million square kilometres spanning the watersof six Asia-Pacific countries has been identified asa global biodiversity hotspot (Foale et al. 2013). The
intrinsic biological value of these ecosystems also
underpins many social and economic values (Figure 10).
Through SDG 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably
use the oceans, seas and marine resources forsustainable development, the oceans have become
a global priority for the first time in history.
Coastal and marine ecosystems provide criticalregulatory services such as helping to protect people’s
lives against natural hazards and the degradation of
resources (Jones et al. 2012; Colls et al. 2009). They
also provide employment opportunities in tourism andthe sustainable harvesting of resources (Bennett et al.
2014; Samonte-Tan et al. 2007). For instance, livelihood
security provided by fisheries to local communities in20

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Mangroves

SOCIAL AND
ECONOMICIMPORTANCE• Shoreline protecttion• Mangroves roots and• Sundarbans containthe world's largest
BIOLOGICAL
coastal mangrove 		 IMPORTANCE
forest, and are hometo the rare Bengal
Tiger• More than 1.2 million
CURRENTSTATUS• Competition for 		land use driven
by aquaculture
and agriculture
infrastructure
and tourism

Seagrasses

organic matter in mangroves trap sediments
and act as sponges,
absorbing flood water

hectares of mangrove
forrest in Asia Pacifichave been converted
to aquaculture ponds• Many commercially
SOCIAL AND
ECONOMICIMPORTANCE

Coral reefs

important fish use
seagrass meadows
as nursery grounds• Nearly 30 million of
SOCIAL AND
ECONOMICIMPORTANCE• Important foodsource for green
turtles anddugongs

BIOLOGICALIMPORTANCE• In the Asia-Pacific
CURRENTSTATUSMAJOR
TREATS• Serve as a bank ofcountries, there has
been an elevated rateof seagrass loss anddepletion, data is 		
available• Losses attributed

to waste water
MAJOR
discharge,
TREATS
untreatedsewage, shrimp 		
farms, trawlers
and the use ofdragnetsthe poorest people
in the world depend
entirely on coral reefs
for their food
• SCUBA diving tourism

genetic resourcesthat can be drawn
upon for medicine
and biotechnology

BIOLOGICALIMPORTANCE• More than 95% of coral
CURRENTSTATUS• Most pervasive

threats affecting
the health of coral
reefs are destructive
fishing, overfishing,eutrophication 		and sedimentation

reefs in Asia and thePacific are at risk andthreat levels have
escalated dramaticallyover the last decade
MAJOR
TREATS

Figure 10. An overview of significant coastal and marine systems’ ecological benefits
to people’s well-being, as well as their current status and major threats
Sources: Gisen et al. 2006; Wikinson 2008; Burke et al. 2011; UNEP 2006, 2016

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

21

the region is significant, especially for the women
who contribute to seafood harvesting and trading(Monfort 2015; Harper et al. 2013). In other local
communities, these ecosystems have spiritual andcultural significance that are equally as importantas the other services; an example is the traditional
knowledge systems of the Pacific island countries thathave long been influenced and shaped by the natureof their local ecosystems (Forsyth 2011).
The oceans also have a central role in regulatingclimate, and are by far the largest carbon sink of Earth.
Almost 93 per cent of the world's carbon dioxide isstored in marine life, such as algae, fish and corals(Khatiwala et al. 2009). A new concept called fishcarbon (Toomey 2018) describes the various carbon
interactions of marine vertebrates that contribute to
the storage of carbon that would otherwise enter theatmosphere and add to global warming (UNEP 2018;
Rogers et al. 2014). It was roughly estimated that
more than 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon are captured
and stored annually by fish and other marine life in thehigh-seas ecosystems (Rogers et al. 2014). Most of theextra heat generated by global warming has gone into
the oceans. There is an urgent need for nations in the
Asia-Pacific region to recognize the role of oceansin mitigating climate change impacts and contributing
to the achievement of SDG 13: Take urgent action tocombat climate change and its impacts.
Maintaining healthy coastal and marine ecosystems
will help guarantee the wellbeing of approximately
1 billion people who live near the coast (Talaue-McManus
2006). With an estimated 325 million people expected
to live near the cost by 2026 (UNEP 2016), the integrityof these ecosystems is necessary to provide security to

A video link
https://vimeo.com/295991431
Source: Toomey, J. “Fish Carbon, Exploring Marine Vertebrate
Carbon Services”. Animated video, produced by GRID-Arendal
and Blue Climate Solutions, 23 Sept. 2018,human communities in Asia and the Pacific. At present,
coastal and marine ecosystems are threatened,particularly the coral reefs in South and Southeast
Asia (IPBES 2018). According to the mid-term reviewof the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Aichi targets, “extensive coastal development andunsustainable exploitation of marine resources haveresulted in the disappearance of over 40 per cent ofcoral reefs and mangroves, leading to declines in fishstocks” (UNEP-WCMC 2016). The damage to coral
reefs, mostly due to pollution and climate change(Box 7), has wide-ranging implications for foodsecurity, tourism and overall marine biodiversity(IPBES 2018).

22

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 7: Could we lose the largest coral reef in the world to climate change?
The Great Barrier Reef (GBR), located on Australia’s northeast coast, is the world’s largest coral reef system.
This magnificent living structure can even be seen from outer space! Declared a World Heritage Site in 1981,
the GBR more than 2 300 kilometers long, stretches over an area of about 344 400 square kilometers.
The most recent tragedy for these coral reefs is the worst coral die off ever recorded in the GBR (Hughes
et al. 2018). In early 2014, driven by climate change, warming seawater temperatures triggered a global
bleaching event that lasted for almost three years. By then, almost 29 per cent of the GBR’s corals had died.
Watch this interview with Professor Terry Hughes, a coral scientist monitoring the condition of the GBR.
A video link
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/video/2016/jun/07/coral-bleaching-has-changedthe-great-barrier-reef-forever-video

Coral reef before and after it experienced severe bleaching in the 2016 mass bleaching event. Rising sea
surface temperature causes large-scale coral bleaching, a phenomenon in which corals expel their symbiotic
microalgae and turn white. This in turn, has been linked to high coral mortality rates.
Source: The Ocean Agency; XL Caitlin Seaview Survey; Coral Reef Image Bank.

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

Building ocean resilience
Marine protected areas (MPAs) are broadly described
as areas set aside to protect and manage thebiodiversity within coastal and marine ecosystems
effectively and equitably (UNEP 2017; Elliott et al.2011).
Simultaneously, MPAs help to achieve the long-term
conservation of nature and its associated ecosystemand cultural values (Neumann et al. 2015). The region’s
countries are at the forefront of designating MPAs
(Box 8). Between 2004 and 2017, the marine area
protected in the region increased by 13.8 per cent
(IPBES 2018). Many countries in Northeast andSoutheast Asia, and Oceania are on track to fulfilling
the Convention on Biological Diversity Aichi Target 11
of declaring 10 per cent of oceans as protected areas,
which further strengthens the global efforts for marine
biodiversity conservation outlined in SDG 14: Life below
water (Rees et al. 2018).
The region’s Coral Triangle has numerous MPAs ofvarious sorts, including no-take zones in which no
extractive activities are allowed, that are managed byvarious national agencies. To help guide managementof such a large area, Flower et al. (2013) recommended
taking an integrated and coordinated ecosystem-based
approach to address the multiple impacts to theregion’s coastal and marine areas, and ensure theirlong-term sustainability for local people. When wellmanaged, MPAs can contribute to reducing poverty(SDG 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere),building food security (SDG 2: Zero hunger), andcreating employment, as seen at four sites (Figure 11;
van Beukering et al. 2013). As well as contributing to
the achievement of a number of SDGs (UNEP 2017),
MPAs and the ecological benefits they provide also

23

contribute to the Convention on Biodiversity Aichi
Targets (Rees et al. 2018), which may further support
the SDGs by building resilience to climate change(Figure 12; Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program 2017;
Neumann et al. 2015).
Effectively well-designed and managed MPAs thatconserve critical habitats, species and ecological
functions are useful for recovering, protecting andenhancing biodiversity, productivity and resilience(Reuchlin-Hugenholtz and McKenzie 2015). Increasing
the coverage of MPAs is thus expected to enhance theprovision of benefits from healthy marine ecosystems.
In addition, strong governance to influence humanbehaviour and reduce impacts on the marine environment
makes MPAs more effective (UNEP 2017). The region’s
main challenge is the effective management of its
extensive MPA network. Despite the progress in coverageof MPAs in Asia and the Pacific, the Intergovernmental
science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) (2018) reported that the rate ofspecies loss had not slowed. This underlines the needfor great urgency in ensuring the region’s natural
resources are appropriately managed by all the
relevant stakeholders.

2.5 Urban systems: liveable and sustainable
natureUrban systems contribute to a higher quality of life,
providing various health, cultural, recreational, andeconomic benefits to urban dwellers. An urban system
is characterized by the complex, adaptive, andsocio-ecological systems that occurs when society
and the system are connected on multiple levels(Figure 13) (Nady 2016; Grimm et al. 2008; Bolund

24

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 8: Two examples of marine protected areas in Southeast Asia and their management
approaches.

Tubbataha Natural Reef Park (1988)

North and South atolls covering
130 028 hectares• Managed by the Tubbataha Protected Area Management
		 Board containing stakeholders from national and local 				 government, and the academic and the private sectors.
• A strict ‘no-take’ zone, it is the largest MPA in 					 the Philippines.
• Republic Act 10067 (also known as the TRNP Act)
		 provides the legal and institutional framework for		 enforcement on the Tubbataha reefs.
• Conservation fees from visitors cover recurrent costs		 such as administration and law enforcement.
				 Source: http://www.tubbatahareef.org/home

Source: Dave Harasti

Raja Ampat Marine Park (2007)

Seven MPAs covering 1 185 940 hectares
Source: Sutirta Budiman on Unsplash• Managed by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries.
• The first marine park in Southeast Asia to enact laws 				 to protect all sharks and rays in the marine park, creating
		 shark and ray sanctuaries to facilitate the recovery of		 these threatened megafauna.
• Tourism revenue is channelled directly to the MPA to fund		 its operations, ensuring a sustainable funding model		 for the local authorities.
				 Source: Agostini et al. 2012.

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

26%

30%

Navakavu
Fiji

38%

36%

ArnavonIslandSolomonIslands

24%

29%
43%

BunakenIndonesia

Opportunities

Empowerment

26%

Apo Island
Philippines

33%

41%

22%

52%

Security

Figure 11: Relative contribution to reducing the three elements of poverty
in four sites in Asia and the PacificSource: van Beukering et al. 2017.

SDG 1 SDG 2 SDG 3 SDG 4 SDG 5 SDG 6 SDG 7 SDG 7 SDG 9 SDG 10 SDG 11 SDG 12 SDG 13 SDG 14 SDG 15 SDG 16Prevent marine pollution
Achieve sustainablemarine ecosystems
Minimize effects ofocean acidification
End overfishingConserve 10% of
marine areas
Reform fisheries
subsidies
Benefits to small island
developing states
SCALE: 100%

10%

Figure 12: Co-benefits to other SDGs of achieving targets for SDG 14: Life below water
Source: Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program 201725

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

and Hunhammar 1999). Due to urban development,
the area of artificial green spaces in urban systems
tends to be larger than the natural ones (Bolund andHunhammar 1999). Urban systems have, directly or
indirectly, an immediate effect on human life, sohuman satisfaction with them is higher than with thevarious services provided, for example, by a dense
forest in the suburbs, even if the type and quality ofservices are different.

CR

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V

( GA
SR
EG
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IO
AT

RE

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AL

Healthy urban systems provide economic benefits,
promote human health and well-being, and generateaesthetic and visual benefits (Davies et al.2017;
Chiesura 2004). Singapore has, for example, placed
significant emphasis on urban greening as a key
component of its development approach (Tan 2017;
Tan et al. 2013). To ensure that Singapore could
develop an economic growth model that did notcompromise its environment, the country’s firstMIC

R TREATMENT(WATE)

ATE REGULATI ON

E TREATMEN
T
SEWAG

LIM
RO-C

URBAN
SYSTEM

I
RA

(W

NW
AT AT
ER ER
RE DRAINGULAT AGE
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)

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)

26

ON TI
TI
A
UC UL
D
RE
EG
E
R
S
E
NOI
NC
RB A
U
T
(DIS

Figure 13: Urban systems may look artificial but they could play an important rolein the sustainability of modern cities. City dwellers can derive numerous ecologicalbenefits when living in urban areas, as seen in the figure.

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

environmental was launched blueprint in 1992: theSingapore Green Plan (SGP) (Ministry of the Environment
1992). The plan is regularly reviewed to take into accountof emerging ideas and issues, and the SGP 2012 wasdeveloped with specific targets to control air pollution,
improve efficiency of water use and waste management,
and maintain good public health (Ministry of theEnvironment and Water Resources 2016).
Green spaces, healthy people
The greatest benefits to people of urban ecosystems
are health and recreation. There have been a numberof studies that suggest that humans become morementally and physically healthy if they can approach
nature easily (Ulrich 1984). Furthermore, the ecosystem
within a city has the effect of connecting people livingin the city with nature (Clos 2015) and raising theirinterest in nature. In the Republic of Korea, for example,
people visiting geen city centres showed high levels ofsatisfaction (Park et al. 2016).
The construction and management of green space isvery important (APUFM 2017), especially in megacities– those with a population of more than 10 million
people. Asia and the Pacific currently has 17 of these,
and that number is expected to increase to 22 by 2030
due to rapid population and urban growth. Some of thecountries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China andthe Republic of Korea are developing and implementing
various strategies related to urban greening and urban
forestry to improve the sustainability of their rapidly
expanding cities (APUFM 2017). In 2017, the Food andAgriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
supported two Asia-Pacific Urban Forestry Meetings(APUFM), at the second of which the host nation, the27

Republic of Korea, developed the Seoul Action Plan,
designed to raise the quality of life of its citizens andpromote urban sustainability (Box 9).
Combining urban life and nature
As cities grow and develop, nearby forests become
fragmented and reduced in size (Estevo et al. 2017);
as a result, biodiversity and habitats disappear (Kimand Park 2011; Hahs et al. 2009). With careful urban
planning, however, cities can be ‘naturalized’ to increase
the presence and resilience of species through initiatives
targeted at blending nature more broadly and deeply
into urban life (Figure 14) (Boada and Maneja 2016).
Large parks, for example, can serve as habitats formany species (Sing et al. 2016; Yuan and Lu 2016).
But compared with other regions, relatively few
studies on how to maintain urban biodiversity havebeen carried out in Asia and the Pacific (Botzat et al.
2016; Beninde et al. 2015).
Urban fauna can have both beneficial effects such asincreasing urban biodiversity services and negative
ones including disrupting or damaging infrastructure.
Nonetheless, urban biodiversity is a strong indicator ofhuman well-being. It can serve as a tool for monitoring
global change and measuring a city's efforts toharmonize its activities with nature. Cities that are
more species diverse are often more resilient andprovide a greater variety of natural benefits to residents,
such as enabling them to enjoy the beauty of seasonal
plant and animal life (Figure 14). A deeper understandingof the importance of urban biodiversity can lead to
improvements in the relationship between people andthe planet, meaning sustainable cities provide hopefor the future.

28

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 9: The Seoul Action Plan – aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals
The Seoul Action Plan was created by participants at the Second Asia-Pacific Urban Forestry Meeting(APUFM) in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in 2017. It presents a set of action guidelines that includes eight goals
and activities to be followed over the next 10 years. Through the Seoul Action Plan, the Republic of Korea isaiming to help achieve SDG 11: Sustainable cities and communities by setting environmental policy goals
for raising the quality of life of its urban citizens, providing forests and green infrastructure around cities, andbuilding cities for a sustainable future.
The Plan has a total of eight goals: greener cities, cleaner cities, cooler cities, healthier cities, more inclusive
cities, more biodiverse cities, wealthier cities and safer cities. For each goal, key actions, indicators andtargets, key players, funding, timing, outcomes and links to the SDGs are described. The following shows thefirst goal of greener cities.

Whowill do?
Outcomes for greener cities• The canopy cover of cities in the region
has increased by at least 10 per centby 2027 (e.g. if a city currently has a
10 per cent cover, it would increase
it to 11per cent)• Getting information on and surveying

Action• By 2027 the green space available perresident has increased by at least
10 per cent as compared to 2017
SDG 11
Funding

Source: APUFM 2017

UN agencies, national institutions, local
stewardships, academies of scienceand universities, city governments;
local authorities; non-governmentalorganisations and the private sector

the canopy and green space, consideringvarious environmental factors• Develope education/research programmes
for assessing and monitoring ecosystemservices• Producing a periodic report on the Stateof Urban Forests in Asia and the Pacific
UN agencies (UN-HABITAT, FAO), Asia
Developement Bank, Asia-Europe
Foundation (ASEF)

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

Figure 14: Otter-ly encouraging! Having not been spotted in the 70s and 80s, smoothcoated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata) were thought to have become extinct in Singapore –but then they were seen again in the city’s wetlands in the 1990s. Since 2007, theseotters have moved into the urban areas such as the man-made reservoirs of Serangoon andPunggol, as well as other highly urbanized places including Marina Bay and Changi Airport.
These urban areas appear to offer otter populations a healthy supply of fish and suitableden sites safe from any disturbances, despite human presence
Source: Jeffrey Teo, Otter Watch Singapore

29

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

2.6 Nurturing nature’s gifts
In this chapter, we have seen how each system plays
big ecological roles and provides ecological benefits
to both biodiversity and human wellbeing. Thesevarious systems are also intricately connected to one
another – the processes and activities in one system
invariably have impacts on others, both in positive
and/or negative ways (Figure 15).

However, the cycle is overworked and overexploited,
and the imperative for us all to live in harmony withnature and shift to using natural resources sustainably
has become urgent. Chapter 3 highlights the major
environmental issues caused by people, affecting
people’s health and wellbeing, and emphasizes that
we need to take action right now.

The Asia-Pacific region offers many opportunities fora synergistic relationship between nature and people,
with the natural capital of the region providing goods
and services that human wellbeing and ensure
people’s survival. The health of this cycle of life, withwhich we co-exist, has a role in achieving sustainable
development. Our present-day decisions on thewell-being of nature will influence or affect ourwellbeing and that of the future generations. The time
to change is now as we have the power to save thefew remaining pockets of pristine environments.

Tips and recommendations:• When visiting forests, rivers and the ocean, remember – take nothing but pictures; leave nothing		 but footprints.
• Participate in meaningful activities such as planting more trees, cleaning up waterways and joining		 dives against marine debris.
• Planting more trees in a city can help beautify the landscape as well as creating refuges for		 urban wildlife.

CHAPTER 2: CIRCLE OF LIFE

Figure 15: To explore the role of ecosystems play in helping people adapt to climate change
in coastal areas and learn more about coastal ecosystem-based adaptation
Link http://web.unep.org/coastal-eba/what-is-coastal-eba

31

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 10: Nobuyuki Ishiwata, Organic Farmer
Nobuyuki is a young farmer who grows kiwifruit (amazingly) without the use of any fertilizers, pesticides,
disinfectants or any other chemicals. He says this makes the soil soft and allows the absorption of water
when it rains, as well as providing a habitat for various kinds of living creatures. Click the figure below to
see his video interview!

A video link
https://youtu.be/WEcsySf3zXg?list=PLNNslwnSnPNDIYhSgyOl8fLrc93n0RRc1

33

CHAPTER

3Life
onthe Line

34

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

3.1 Development for wellbeing

3.2 Watering the future

Every day, most young people ride a bike, car, bus,
train, metro or boat to school or work. When seeing
something that interests us, we can look it up on
our mobile devices. There is enough light to study(or procrastinate) at night. There is generally enoughfood, and when hungry, we can drop by the nearest
convenience store. Our lives are dramatically moreconvenient than they were 100 years ago; but are ourconvenient lifestyles really sustainable? It seems weare walking a thin line, trying to balance environmental
lifelines and economic development (Figure 16).
People are actually compromising our own lives
by polluting and contaminating our surroundings.
Why is this happening? Is there anything that canbe done so that we won’t have to choose between
economic or environmental wellbeing but aim
for sustainable development without sacrificing
the environment?

When the parent’s generation
eats salt, the child’s generation
thirsts for water.
(Vietnamese proverb)

Past generations have built an industrial, consumptionbased economy requiring vast volumes of water andemitting many pollutants. How does that impact young
people? And what can be done about it?

Figure 16: Life on the line

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE

What’s happening here? I’m getting better…
but we’re using more than ever
Although per-person water use is decreasing, total
water use is increasing as a result of population
growth. Asia and the Pacific now accounts for overhalf of the world’s water use. The good news is that
thanks to technological advances, it now takes
less water to generate the same economic revenue
compared to 35 years ago (Figure 17; UNEP 2016).

35

Pollution… say it, don’t spray it
As a result of the growing population and economy,
water pollution from domestic and industrial
wastewater, agricultural run-off and waste landfill
leachates continues to be a big problem in Asia andthe Pacific. Common pollutants across the region
include organics, nutrients such as nitrogen andphosphorus, dissolved salts, heavy metals, pesticides
and chemicals.
Saltwater intrusion linked to coastal erosion andextensive groundwater extraction can be commonly
observed in coastal areas (UNEP 2016). Sanitation

1970 						2015Total water use
in Asia and the Pacific2100 km3
1500 km3(equivalent to 3.1 Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia) (equivalent to 4.4 Lake Khövsgöl, Mongolia)
Per person water
use in Asia and thepacific

700 m3(equivalent to0.56 swimming pool)

Water intensityof economy(how much water isneeded to produce
US$ 1)

2300 Litres(equivalent to
23 bathtubs)

500 m3(equivalent to
0.4 swimming pool)

300 Litres(equivalent to3 bathtubs)

Figure 17: Water use trends in Asia and the Pacific. Source: UNEP 2016

36

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

continues to be a major source of pollution in the
Asia-Pacific region. As of 2015, less than 50 per centof people in Afghanistan, Cambodia, India, Kiribati,
Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands andTimor-Leste had access to safe sanitation, andacross the region tens of millions of people become
ill, disabled or even die as a result of unsafe waterand sanitation (Anand 2012). The Pacific island
countries and territories face enormous stress fromcontamination of their limited water resources as aresult of increasing populations, climate change andlifestyle change. On atolls, the groundwater supply
exists in the form of freshwater lenses, where
freshwater, being lighter, floats on top of salty
seawater. These valuable lenses are very fragile andsusceptible to exploitation and contamination byhuman activities – mainly from open-bottom toilets(Figure18; Kayanne 2017).

Where’s the fun without water?
The Eaulympics
We all need water to survive, and so do the Olympic
and Paralympic Games. Twelve out of 42 sports,
30 per cent, of the Summer Games, and 15 out of
15 sports, 100 per cent, of the Winter Games directly
use water. And if you add the indirect use of water,such as when football pitches and volleyball beaches
are watered or the water that the athletes need to drink,
ALL Olympic and Paralympic Games need water.
Water circulates in the environment in all forms (Figure19). Once water is polluted, it takes enormous amountsof energy and chemicals to purify it before it goes into
your baby’s milk formula or into a swimming pool.
In addition, there are chemical substances such as
pesticides or pharmaceuticals which cannot be

Figure 18: Non-sustainable (left) and sustainable (right) water-use practices on atolls
Source: Kayanne 2017

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE

completely removed by traditional water treatment
methods. Who would want their favourite athlete or
their children to be drinking powerful and potentially
dangerous chemicals every time they go for a swim?

SummerOlympic
sportsdirectly
need
water

WinterOlympic
sports30%

37

Watch an interview with Japanese Paralympian Monika
Seryu on water (Box 11). Olympic athletes are young
professionals, just like us – so can we also play our part?

transportation

100%

skiingskating
precipitation
evaporation

canoe

swimming
sailing

Figure 19: The water cycle and Olympics

38

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 11: Youth voices for GEO-6: Monika Seryu, Paracanoeist
Meet Monika, a Japanese Paralympian canoeist. Beaming, she tells us that canoes liberated her from her
disability. Her sport depends heavily on water and she spends every day in or on water. She mentions thatwater quality or physical obstacles such as debris can alter an athlete’s performance. Check out the video
for more!

A video link
https://youtu.be/zEMfyzyCCVY?list=PLNNslwnSnPNDIYhSgyOl8fLrc93n0RRc1

I got it… so what do we do now?
Securing means of implementation, including finance,technology, capacity building and strengthening thelinks between science and policy, have been identified
as the first step in achieving greener and bluer pathways.

Leapfrogging and transformative pathways have been
investigated so that developing states do not have torepeat the same mistakes but instead will be able toachieve a low carbon society rapidly without as many
resources or producing as many emissions (UNEP2015). To achieve all this, collaboration among all sorts

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINEof stakeholders and the involvement of each and every
one of us is key.
Orange may be the next black - is nitrogen the next
carbon?
UN Environment is partnering with the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)and various international organizations to combat
the threat of nitrogen pollution. Nitrogen, along withphosphorus, has been identified as having exceeded
their planetary boundaries – the safe operating spacefor humanity (Rockstrom, 2015). International society
came together to combat carbon emissions – can we
now do the same for nitrogen?

3.3 Air pollution, the inescapable threatis breathable, clean air. It is from the atmosphere that
all organisms, including humans, take the gases thatthey need to survive. Keeping air clean requires allcomponents of ecosystems. For example, plants
filter the air and dissipate pollutants, while being thesource of oxygen on which all animals, including
humans, depend.
But some processes also contribute harmful
substances in the atmosphere (Figure 20). Gaseous
air pollutants include nitrous and sulphur oxides(NOx; SOx), which contribute to smog, haze and acidrain. Ozone (O3) found in the stratosphere is essential
to life because it keeps ultraviolet light from reaching
the surface of the Earth. However, excess ozone at
ground level can have harmful effects on humanhealth, crops and the climate.

One of the things that is absolutely necessary for life

Gaseous air
pollutants
NOx

O3

NOx - Nitrogen oxides
SOx
O3- OzoneSOx - Sulphur oxides
TMs - Tetramethylsilane
As - Arsenic
Cd - Cadmium
Pb - Lead
PAHs - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
BC - Black carbon

39

acid rain
smog
haze

Particulatematter(PM10,PM2.5)
TMs
As Cd
Pb

Figure 20: Gaseous pollutants and their harmful effects on human beings

PAHs
BC

40

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Harmful substances can be present as small particles
in the air, called particulate matter (PM). These varyin size, larger particles, PM10 and fine particulates,
PM2.5, can come from both natural and human-madesources. Some PM is a part of the normal compositionof outdoor air, such as sea salt from the oceans andloose dust, but many components of PM are toxic.
Air pollution is a threat that is present almost
everywhere in the Asia-Pacific region: about 92 per centof the total population is exposed to levels of air pollutionthat present a significant risk to their health. Knowingthat the threat is affecting so many people, we arechallenged to come up with effective solutions that will
prevent the problem from getting worse over time.
Climate-altering air pollutants
When climate change comes to mind, most people
think of excess levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) as theprimary concern. New research shows, however, that
there are more substances in the atmosphere that
require our attention: short-lived climate pollutants(SLCPs). These include black carbon, methane (CH4)and and ground-level ozone. While short lived, they
only tend to stay in the atmosphere for short periodsof time, these pollutants significantly affect local andglobal climate.
Black carbon, in the form of soot, decreases
atmospheric visibility by producing persistent hazeand smog over affected areas. It can also change local
climate conditions by causing changes in temperature.
Its overall effect in the atmosphere is to increase thetemperature, although it can have a cooling effect,
for example, after volcanic eruptions, as the particles

block some energy from the sun from reaching
the Earth (Bond et al. 2013).
Methane is a greenhouse gas several times more
effective in causing glbal warming than carbon dioxidethat is mainly produced from rice paddies, livestock
production and the breaking down of organic waste.
Additionally, when methane interacts with othergaseous pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, in thepresence of sunlight it forms another air pollutant
and greenhouse gas: ground-level ozone, which also
impacts crop production.
Air pollution is a severe health hazard
Both short-term and long-term exposure to these air
pollutants brings high risks to human health. The risks
from PM depend on the particle size: smaller particles
are more dangerous. PM10 (particles with diameter of
10 micrometres or less) are mostly trapped in the noseand throat while PM2.5 (particles with diameter of 2.5
micrometres or less) can be directly absorbed throughlungs into the bloodstream, where they contribute toincreased incidences of various lung and heart diseases,
as well as cancer (van Berlo et al. 2012). This is dueto the toxic components of PM2.5: it can contain black
carbon, toxic metals such as lead, arsenic and cadmium,and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) which
are carcinogenic molecules. These toxic particles areoften produced from a range of sources including
vehicle exhausts, burning of waste, use of charcoal andwood for cooking and heating and industrial processes,
Particulate matter pollution is the fifth most frequentcause worldwide of premature deaths and illnesses,
as well as affecting people’s quality of life (Cohen et al.

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE

2017). Particulate matter has very harmful effects on
the human body, to which young children and middleto-old aged people are particularly susceptable(Solaimani et al. 2017; Karottki et al. 2014; Schuepp
and Sly 2012). This effect is even more pronounced inrural areas where the usage of biomass cooking stoves
disproportionately affects women who cook indoors
and their small children (Devakumar et al. 2018).

Additionally, the presence of high PM levels in theatmosphere has been shown to reduce outdoor activity
in young people, reducing overall physical activity (Anand Yu 2018). Many cities the Asia-Pacific region havePM2.5 levels high above the World Health Organization(WHO) guideline of an annual mean of 10 micrograms
per cubic metre (µg/m3) (Figure 21), and serious action
is needed for people in these highly urbanized areas tobreathe cleaner air.

180
160

micrograms per cubic metre

140
120
100
80
60
40
20

Maximum PM2.5

m
Na

et

nd

Vi

ila

Th
a

pu

bl

ic

of

Ko
re
a

pi

ne
s

ta
n

ilip

d
an

is

Ph

Re

Minimum PM2.5

Pa
k

ar

Ze
al

m

Ne

w

ya
n

M

ay
s

ia

n
M

al

pa
Ja

Ira

n

a
di
In

a
in
Ch

ut
an
Bh

la
ng

Ba

Au
s

tra

lia

de
sh

0

Average PM2.5

Figure 21: Annual mean PM2.5 exposure in selected countries in Asia and the PacificSource: WHO, 2018

41

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Gaseous pollutants are also linked to long-term healtheffects: exposure to nitrogen oxides increases the riskof developing several cardiovascular problems such as
hypertension and coronary artery disease. Aside from
this, prolonged exposure to sulphur oxides, methaneand ground-level ozone is also directly linked to theincidence of long-term chronic asthma and otherobstructive lung diseases.
Cleaning up the air
Reducing air pollution means tackling its source(Figure 22) – taking action to prevent emissions fromhappening in the first place. Many sources of toxic PM
and gaseous pollutants are associated with burningand combustion. In most cities, it is also important thatcars, buses and other vehicles have better engines andfuels, or better yet, people start using electric vehicles.
Cities should be planned to accommodate not only
vehicle traffic but also mass transport systems andhave dedicated walking and bicycle lanes.
It is important to consider that as the economic
competitiveness of cities in Asia and the Pacificincreases, the resulting development must takeaccount of not only mobility and easy access. Diverse
modes of transport and the planning of green spaces
are also required to offset air pollution in urban areas.
Cleaner energy also means cleaner air: industry andpower generation activities can be improved byswitching to renewable sources of energy. In rural
areas, many people still use charcoal and fuel woodfor cooking and heating, but providing access to
low-emission stoves and fuels would help reduce
pollution from this source and contribute to healthier

air for more people.

3.4 Food for thought
Food production – is it enough to meet demand?
Ensuring adequate food supply to an exponentiallygrowing population, while protecting biodiversity, andsustainably managing the world’s fixed amount ofarable land is an significant challenge in the 21st
century. Approximately 10 billion people will need to
be fed by 2050; to meet that need the planet will haveto produce more food in the next 80 years than it
has been previously produced in all of human history(Smith 2018).
The Asia-Pacific region is an important area in terms offood production, but its output has been declining(Taniguchi et al. 2017). While the use of synthetic
fertilizers has boosted global agricultural production(Erisman et al. 2008), it has contributed to environmental
degradation, such as algal bloom and increased
greenhouse gas emissions (Section 3.2). Climatechange is complicating food production, threatening
several important food crops in southern Asia andsouthern Africa if adaptation measures are not be
implemented (Lobell et al. 2008).
Another challenge for food production is how tominimize pesticide use without losing crops to pest
infestations. Some pesticides accumulate in theenvironment and then find their way into the food chain(Carvalho 2017), potentially posing risks to humanhealth (Han et al. 2018). Furthermore. recent evidence
suggests that some pesticides such as neonicotinoids
threaten biodiversity by negatively impacting non-target

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE43

Individuals can help reduce air pollution by:

CLEAN HEATING
AND COOKINGMANAGING
WASTE

MINDFUL
TRANSPORTCONSERVINGENERGYCALL OFCHANGE

look at efficiency
ratings for stoves andheaters, avoid burning
charcoal and wood forcooking/heating

Minimize (organic)
waste, minimize
emissions, recycle
non-organic trash,and garbage should
not be burned

Use public transport
when possible, rely
less on cars, cycle orwalk for health andthe environment

Turn off light/
electronics when not
in use, switch yourhousehold to solar
energy if possible

Call for leaders to makebetter choices such as
implementing air quality
guildlines, planning fora more walkable city,strengthening mass
public transport

Link to UNEP's BreatheLife campaign: http://breathelife2030.org

Figure 22: Individual solutions to air pollution
Source: http://breathelife2030.org/

species, including bees (Rundlöf et al. 2015) and birds
that feed on insects (Hallmann et al. 2014).
Emerging strategies to feed the world
With the needs of a growing population putting pressure
on farmers to produce ever more food, innovative
responses are desperately needed. Innovative foodproduction strategies include the promotion of anumber of sustainable farming practices. Regenerative
farming, for example, relies on a series of practices that
aim to simultaneously improve soil health, agricultural

productivity and farm profitability. This system has
increased maize farmers’ profits by up to 78 per cent,with a 10-fold decrease in pest infestations (LaCanneand Lundgren 2018). Semiochemical-mediated pest
management is also gaining traction as an alternative
to synthetic pesticide use (Box 12). Semiochemicals
are natural compounds emitted by insects and crops,
which can be utilized to lure pests into traps or disrupt
their behaviour (Norin 2007). The cultivation of geneedited crops for food production is also currently being
explored, as some new varieties have been bred tobe drought and/or heat resistant, effectively climate

44

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 12: Allies in the war against crop infestation
Coconut is an important crop in Southeast Asia and a significant
contributor to the local economy. Recently, coconut plantations in thePhilippines have faced massive infestations of coconut scale insect (CSI)
Aspidiotus rigidus (Watson et al. 2015). Infested trees produce coconuts
with sour juice and thin meat. One of the control measures used is theapplication of neonicotinoids through trunk injections. Considering thenegative impacts of these pesticides on non-target species (Section 3.4),
greener pest-control methods are highly sought after. One such is the use of a biological control agent,a natural predator of the CSI pest. A wasp-like insect was recently discovered in the Philippine Southern
Tagalog Region, which hatches its eggs inside mugature CSIs (Almarinez et al. 2015). This new species wasnamed Comperiella calauanica (Barrion et al. 2016) and may play a critical role in managing CSI infestations.
Comperiella calauanica (the black insect) is inserting its eggs into a coconut scale insect, Aspidiotus rigidus (yellow and white scales).
Scale bar = 0.30 mm.
Source: Ph Dr. Billy Joel Almarinez, De La Salle University, Philippineschange ready while others have had their nutritional
value improved. While scientific consensus on thesafety of gene-edited crops has yet to be reached(Hilbeck et al. 2015), evidence suggests that growing
them has increased farmer profits by up to 68 per cent,increased crop yields by up to 22 per cent, anddecreased pesticide use by 37 per cent (Klümper
and Qaim 2014).
Food security is everyone’s business
Food security is the availability of clean, safe andaffordable food (Pinstrup-Andersen 2009). While it isusually discussed at a global or national scale, everyone
can help attain food security without compromising
the environment. The easiest way is minimizing waste,such as food and packaging. Also, adopting healthy
diets that are rich in vegetables can help reducesignificant amounts of greenhouse gases associatedwith food and particularly meat production (Tilman
and Clark 2014; Baroni et al. 2007). You can get greater
access to vegetables easily by growing them in yourbackyard, or by engaging in urban agriculture (Box 13).
This is not just an enjoyable hobby, it could also be
profitable if you sell any excess vegetables. Growing
you own also ensures that the vegetables you eat aresafe. Another easy way is to consume local produce,
since such products needed less inputs to pack andtransport. These are simple steps that everyone cando without much effort, but the positive impact on theenvironment will be tremendous.

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE45

Box 13: Urban culture, why not urban agriculture?
Urban agriculture is the rearing of animals and growingof plants within and around cities. It has an importantrole in enhancing urban food security as the costs
associated with supplying and distributing food in towns
and cities based on rural production and imports continue
to rise. With a population of 5 million in a small area
(1 060 square kilometres), Hong Kong produces 45 per centof the fresh vegetables, 15 per cent of the pigs and68 per cent of the live chickens consumed by its population
on just 10 per cent of its total area (Yeung 2018). Urban
agriculture can take many forms from large-scalecommercial production of food, as in Hong Kong, to small-scale community gardens or even on apartmentbalconies and in backyards. Cultivating your own food can help families save money while improving theenvironmental quality your surroundings.
An urban agriculture setup growing lettuce on a building rooftop.
Source: De La Salle University Publishing House

3.5 Waste: not a good taste
Waste is everything that is thrown away or discarded.
Poorly managed waste affects the environment, theeconomy and human wellbeing (World Bank Group2012). It can be a source of pollution on land, in waterand air (Figure 23). It can contribute to the spread or
emergence of diseases such as dengue, diarrhoea andrespiratory ailments in communities.
Around 2 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste(MSW) is thrown out each year (UNEP and ISWA 2015).
Households in Asia and the Pacific produce

43 per cent of the world’s total MSW and this meansthat one person generates 1.4 kilograms of garbage
every day. The region is facing a major threat, asalongside the increase in MSW generation, there areissues with emerging waste streams, including plastic
waste, e-waste and food waste. But at the same time,
waste is just a misplaced resource; we just need tofind a use for it.

46

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

MethaneandcarbondioxideWastedland space

Pollutionof soilMount landfill

Pollution ofundergroundwater

Pollutionof surface
water

Figure 23: Mismanagement of waste and its associated hazards

Plastic waste – mismanaged plastics areattacking us!
So are we saying plastic is bad? No, not at all. “Plastic
is a miraculous material which human beings havecreated! So the problem is not of plastic but of humanirresponsibility”- Sadhguru.

A video link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcSG0TusOtc

Plastics are everywhere! Just take a look around – canyou find an item that does not contain plastics? The
durability of plastics is the reason for their popularity(Hammer et al. 2012) but it also is one of the reasons
why plastics have become major pollutants on sea
and land. With plastics used in millions of products aswell as being the primary choice for packaging, plastic
waste has rapidly increased in the past few decades,
reaching 335 million tonnes in 2016 alone – withalmost 60 per cent of this coming from just fivecountries in Asia and the Pacific (Bloomberg 2018).

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE47

Box 14: How tiny plastics are entering our soil

A video link
https://www.unenvironment.org/news-andstories/story/plastic-planet-how-tiny-plasticparticles-are-polluting-our-soil

Polyacrylic fibres in soil.

Source: Anderson Abel de Souza Machado

The mismanagement of plastic waste has harmful
impacts on human well-being. Improper disposal orburning of plastic waste is dangerous to human health.
People living near plastic incineration sites can be
exposed toxic pollutants emitted in the process thatcan lead to skin and respiratory hazards, and eye
damage (Lithner 2011).
Pesky plastics ending up in our seafood
Silent, small and almost invisible microplastics areentering our food chain (Figure 24; Bhargava et al. 2018;
Seltenrich 2015). Seafood, a key dietary component forpeople living in Asia and the Pacific (Section 2.4),
is likely to be the direct cause of human exposure to
microplastics and other toxic compounds such as
heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. In
Malaysia, a study suggests that people who eat dried
fish product could be eating up to 246 pieces of
microplastics a year (Johnston 2017; Karami et al.2017)!
And there is a need to be very concerned about plastics
in this region’s marine environment. Plastics are affecting
marine biodiversity, water quality, and now, our food– it is about time that we took urgent action, or theseplastics will stay with us for a very, very long time.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Figure 24: Microplastics are entering our food chain through seafood
supply. Watch this for more information
A video link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb7tbfjYu3oFight against plastic waste
To combat plastic debris, some countries have started
to implement policies to reduce plastic litter by imposingbans or taxes on plastic bags and utensils (UNEP 2016).
Recently, China has also stopped importing plastic
waste, forcing the exporting countries to sort out theirown waste issues. Technologies to solve plastic
pollution – such as using biodegradable plastics
and converting plastics to fuels or high value-added
products including wood-plastic composites or carbon
nanotubes – are continuously being explored anddeveloped (Najafi 2013; Bazargan and Gordon 2012).
Every one of us can play a major role in driving market
forces by reducing our personal use of plastic.

Can we become responsible consumers by avoiding
single-use plastics such as plastic straws and polythenebags? Ask yourselves: do you need plastic utensils foryour take away food? We all need think and act now –before irreversible damage is done to our environment
and well-being.
Electronic waste: phones could last longer!
How often do you buy a new phone? What happens toyour old ones? The use of electronic devices such as
mobile phones, computers, televisions and printers has
increased dramatically (Figure 25). But the lifespan ofelectronics is getting shorter and shorter, generating
tremendous amounts electronic waste, or e-waste.

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE49

Box 15: Simple ways to reuse big volume of plastics!
In India, engineers are adopting a method of taking waste plastics – crisp packets, chocolate bar wrappers,
plastic bags, bottles, lids, etc. – shredding them and using the resulting material as a substitute for bitumen
in road construction. This method takes a waste product and reinvents it as a useful construction material.
Fun to watch: Say goodbye to plastics.

A video link
http://web.unep.org/environmentassembly/beat-pollution/

E-rase the e-waste
Globally, 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste is generated
each year and the Asia-Pacific region is one of the largest
generators. E-waste contains heavy metals which arehazardous to the environment and therefore needs tobe handled in properly. E-waste also contains rare metalsof great economic value, but only a small fraction of all
e-waste is being formally recycled. The vast majorityof e-waste, a vast amount, is dumped in landfills or
incinerated causing severe health and environmental
problems (Zeng et al. 2016; Song et al. 2015;).

When electronic devices are burnt, toxic metals, suchas lead, and chemicals are released into the air, soil
and water (Sepúlveda et al. 2010). Women aredisproportionately affected by the e-waste sector,
as many are employed in extracting precious metals
from it and are exposed to toxins (Figure 26; McAllister
et al. 2014). The emitted toxic substances can cause
severe health problems, including spontaneousabortions, stillbirths, premature births and DNA
damage (Grant et al. 2013).

50

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

1.6 billion

18 months

60% wasted

30% lost

cell phones
manufactured in2012. Electronics arepacked with toxic
chemicals – arsenic,
lead and polybrominatedflame retardants.

the time the average
American keeps
a cell phone.

of our e-wasteends upin landfills – bothat home and inother countries –from where toxic
metals leach into
the environment.

even when electronic
devices are recycled,
significant amountof valuable materials
cannot be recovered.

Figure 25: Phones could last longer!
Source: iFixit.org.

Figure 26: A child and a woman in India working forthe informal e-waste recycling sector
Source: Sadia Sohail

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE

E-waste disposal should be carried out under strict
government regulations and operators should makeserious efforts to protect local communities fromexposure to it. Electrical and electronics engineering
companies should also work towards seriously
lengthening their products’ life cycles (Figure 27).
Food Waste –make haste to lessen food waste
According to Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations (FAO), about one-third of the all foodproduced for human consumption is wasted (FAO2018). Do you get more food than you can eat during

parties or buffet lunches? Do you keep food in the
refrigerator and only remember about it when you areready to throw it out? How much food do you waste?
Hunger and food security are serious global issues.
At present, there are around 7.6 billion people, andby 2050 it is projected that there will be 9.8 billion(UNDESA 2017). The challenge now is how we feed
the world’s unfed and increasing population? And
couldn’t a reduction in food waste contribute toaddressing this issue?

REPAIRUSEDMOBILE
PHONESRECYCLESOLD
BATTERIES• Batteries• Stainless steel

COMPONENTS• Jewellery• Electronics

CASING• Traffic• Plastic fencing• Car bumpers

PACKAGING• Newspapers• Boxes• Egg cartons

Figure 27: Phones could last longer!
Source: tunza.eco-generation.org.

51

52

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

The food you waste could feed the hungry
When we were growing up, how many of us werereprimanded for not finishing the food on our plate?
How many times have we been told by our parents not
to take too much food and be mindful of our eating
habits? Do you remember how your parents tried tomake you feel guilty by saying that other children would
be more than happy to finish what was on your plate?
Today’s food-waste reality definitely needs all thesereminders (Figure 28). So, what can we do?

To begin minimizing your personal food waste, youwill have to start breaking old habits. Let’s start by notgoing to the grocery and grabbing every single food
item you are craving for when you feel hungry,. Plan
your meals and buy only what you need. Enjoy foodwith your friends when you dine out by sharing with
one another. You will not only be able to taste different
dishes but you will be reducing food waste as well! As
you minimize your personal food waste, you will also
be saving money!

49%(of 4 000 people surveyed) forget about leftovers in the refrigerator

34%(of4 000 people surveyed) prepare too much food2%(of people around the world) hungry or undernourished

Figure 28: Food wastage and the hungry population
Source: https://www.asiaone.com/asia/80-households-asia-pacific-regularly-waste-food-home-survey

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE53

Box 16: Food Stock Exchange
At the Food Stock Exchange, a restaurant in Jaipur, India, prices of food keep changing on the big
screen – just like the share market. The concept is based on changing demand. Can we use a similar
concept of price reduction for vegetables/curries nearing their expiry date but still fit and safe to consume?
Are you willing to buy such food items? Food for thought?

Box 17: Singapore food waste to digester
Greendale Primary School in Singapore started a food-waste reduction programme in August 2017.
It involves weighing food waste collected at the end of every recess. The waste is then poured into a
biodigester, which uses microbes to convert it into compost. The compost is then used to fertilize theschool's gardens. Additionally, canteen staff asking pupils if they want smaller portions has helped cut thedaily food waste from 17.9 kilograms to less than 10 kilograms.
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/food-waste-food-for-thought-for-students

Don’t be wasteful

3.6 Pollution free, the way to be

Waste avoidance and reduction have not received
enough attention in Asia and the Pacific. How can
we help waste management? Participation in publicawareness campaigns and cooperation in waste
management practices are good starting points.
Adequately following separation practices in yourlocality and sorting your garbage at home, in the office
and in other public or private places, can significantly
contribute to the treatment and disposal of waste.
Recycle, reuse and get creative!

In today’s society, technology has provided us withendless possibilities and benefits to ensure ourwell-being by providing more and increasing conveniencein our daily lives. But this has led to a compromise thathas put life on the line. In addition, the adverse effects
of technology on the environment are now at alarming
rates – global warming, pollution, frequent extreme
weather events and decreasing and degraded resources.
At present, the condition of our water, air and foodis greatly compromised. All the while, the world’s

54

GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 18: In Indonesia, commuters pay bus fares with plastic waste

B
TI US
CK
ET

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/05/in-indonesia-commuters-pay-for-the-bus-with-plastic-waste/

population continues to increase, urbanization is
spreading and more waste is generated.
Technology, despite its many disadvantages, can be
an ally in pursuing sustainability. Cleaner technologies
that reduce emissions, innovative farming practices
and state-of-the-art waste management facilities areproviding better options for society. Research anddevelopment are underway to improve the utilizationof technology to address global issues as well as
reduce their environmental impacts. But to safeguard
our environment, strict laws, a social conscience andtechnological innovation are all needed. The integrityof our ecosystems is essential so that we can continue
to enjoy clean water, fresh air and good food. Society’s

need for both technology and nature is undeniable,
therefore, it is essential that optimized solutions andalternative action be formulated and implemented. Our
personal choices and decisions. such as valuing natureand saving resources by recycling, can also greatly
help in a positive way as personal awareness becomesa collective effort to utilize technology better and tolook after our environment.
Resilience and sustainability play vital roles in helping
humanity adapt to this dynamic, ever changing world.
Chapter 4 discusses potential solutions to various
environmental issues that are made possible bycommunity- and national-level initiatives.

• Plastic is a miraculous material for the wise ones. Are you one of them? Recycle products as muchas you can and avoid single use plastic utensils – disposable plates, glasses, bottles, cutlery and,of course, straws!

CHAPTER 3: LIFE ON THE LINE

REDUCERECYCLEREUSE

REPAIR

REFUSE

Figure 29: Ways to reduce waste

55

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICCHAPTER

4

Sustainability
and Resiliencein a Changing World

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

3 500 000 000

Resilience (res-il-ience)noun
ability to cope with and recover from dificulties

Urban population in
Asia and the Pacificexpected to double
by 2050 (UN 2018)

Green areas preserved toreduce flooding and urban
heat-island effect, ensureclean and abundant
water supply

Abundant public transportand renewable energy
for cleaner air and lessemissionsGlobal temperature
increase since 1880
(Pachauri et al.2014)

4.1 Adapting to change
In the previous chapters, we learnt a lot about theenvironmental challenges facing the Asia-Pacificregion. Because action taken in our cities and local
communities now can also have effects 20, 30 oreven 50+ years into the future, we need to ensurethat resilience and sustainability are instilled in our

Fewer buildings, more open
spaces near rivers andother areas prone tonatural hazzards

communities. That’s the only way to ensure future
generations get to enjoy the same or an even better
environment and quality of life than we enjoy. In the
Asia-Pacific region, rates of rural-urban migration
continue to rise, and future population growth is also
projected to be concentrated in urban areas (Figure 30).

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

3.5

billion persons

3.0

59

AfricaEuropeLatin America and the Caribbean
Northern America
Asia Pacific

2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0
1980			

2010 		

2050

Figure 30: Urban populations, 1980, 2010 and 2050
Source: UN 2014

As millions of people move to cities in search of jobs
and other opportunities, these cities will continue toexpand their boundaries. Satellite imagery of the Earthat night (Figure 31) shows how urban areas havealready shaped the planet and lit up the darkness.
By 2025, Asia will host seven of the world's ten largest
metropolitan regions, and by 2050 the urban populationin Asia and the Pacific is projected to increase to be
3 billion up from 2 billion in 2015 (UN 2014).
This urbanization is also causing challenges in manyrural areas in the region, such as depopulation andaging of populations which can have serious impacts
on the local labour market and economy. In parallel,
climate change is happening, contributing to moreclimate-related disasters, rising temperatures andsea levels, and the Earth’s limited natural resources
are being depleted. Faced with these challenges, it isclear that the Asia-Pacific region needs to take action
to ensure the resilience and sustainability of its
environment and society.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Figure 31: Night-time lights across Asia and the PacificSource: NASA’s DMSP-OLS satellite.

This chapter highlights selected resilience andsustainability measures that can be implemented intowns and cities now to ensure that our communities,
as well as future generations, will be able to deal withthe challenges our region faces. Sections 4.2 and
4.3 deal with building the resilience of towns and cities
to climate-related disasters and rising temperatures,
while Section 4.4 covers potential measures that canbe taken within the built environment to address theuse of the limited natural resources including fossil
fuels, land and water. Box 19 summarizes the key
issues and selected measures highlighted in thischapter, together with the related SDGs.

4.2 Know disaster, no disaster
It’s raining, it’s pouring, we’d better not be snoring
Disasters linked to extreme weather events, particularly
those related to climate change, have been increasing
in frequency globally since the 1940’s, with the mostcommon types being floods (Figure 32) and drought(Munang et al. 2015). The Asia-Pacific region has thehighest number of extreme weather events in the world(Guha-Sapir et al. 2016) and, throughout the region, thefrequency, magnitude and impact of these events are
increasing due to climate change (IPCC 2014). These
facts really drive home the need for action to ensure

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD61

Box 19: Highlights of Chapter 4
Problems discussed in this chapter

Selected measures for enhancing resilience and sustainability

Increase in climate-related disasters

1. Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction
2. Climate-smart land-use planning
3. High-tech natural hazard monitoring and response systems
4. Disaster preparedness efforts by local and online communities

Rising temperatures and sea levels

1. Enhancing social capital in communities
2. Urban greening
3. International inter-city collaboration

Limited natural resources

1. Develop more renewable energy
2. Energy-efficient buildings
3. Sustainable transport systems
4. Effective urban-rural links – such as cities and peri-urban
areas supporting each otherthat our towns and cities are better prepared
to cope with climate-related hazards, as well as theneed to take a proactive approach in addressing
climate change.
So what kinds of action can be taken? The latest
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
report identified some key measures including
ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction, climate-smart

land-use planning and implementing better disastermonitoring and early warning systems (IPCC 2014).
Action taken by households, local government andcommunities, including online communities, can play
an important role in reducing people’s vulnerability to
climate-related natural hazards. Additionally, we canwork to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions now
so as to limit future climate change.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Figure 32: Floods following Typhoon Milenyo in the Philippines, 2006
Source: Erlinda C. Creencia, City of Santa Rosa

Natural ecosystems: our ally for disasterrisk reduction
Natural ecosystems play many important roles inprotecting our towns and cities from climate-related
natural hazards. Forests and other green spaces, forexample, can reduce flooding by enabling soil to absorb
large amounts of rainfall (Section 2.2) and reduce
landslides by preventing erosion. Mangroves and coastal
wetlands protect our cities and infrastructure along
coastlines by reducing the effects of storm surges,
tsunamis and sea level rise. Because of these benefitsof nature, ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction has
become a hot topic in recent years. In practice, thisinvolves activities such as conserving existing natural
ecosystems, planting trees and creating new urban

green spaces to maximize ecosystems’ potential tomitigate climate-related disasters. Unlike traditional
man-made infrastructure measures like levees andseawalls, these ecosystem-based measures also
protect local biodiversity and provide many otherenvironmental benefits to residents in non-disastertimes including reducing urban heat-island effects(Section 4.3).
Tools for disaster risk reduction
The UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction,
an international agreement for reducing disaster risks
by 2030, identified rapid and unplanned urbanization as
an underlying driver of increased risks (UNGA 2015).
Thus, to ensure cities are climate resilient – well-suited

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLDto current and future climate conditions – many local
governments have begun incorporating climate risk
assessments into their urban planning processes. As
one example, geographic information systems (GIS)
data and climate models can be used to simulate theclimate-related risks to people and infrastructure under
different future land-use and climate change scenarios(Figure 33), and help urban planners avoid placing new
developments in disaster-prone areas – or at least
include some measures to reduce the disaster risks
in these areas.

Current land use

63

Unfortunately, it is impossible to prevent all climaterelated disasters. For this reason, high-tech monitoring
systems are also being developed and used to help
handle the complex and often unexpected situations
that may arise. Following the earthquake, tsunami andnuclear triple disaster that occurred in Japan in 2011,
for example, satellite imagery provided by the country’s
space agency (JAXA) proved to be one of the best
ways of assessing the damage around the Fukushima
nuclear power plant because low-altitude aircraft wereunable to fly in the area due to radiation risks.

Future land use?

Figure 33: Simulating the impacts of land-use changes on flooding

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Hand-in-hand for disaster risk reduction
Resilience to natural hazards can also be increased
through the efforts of individual households andcommunities. Households, for example, can reduce
their exposure to floods by raising the elevation of theland on their property before building, or by building
their homes on stilts or piles. Communities can takecollective action by advocating the conservation of
local ecosystems/local urban green spaces, or by
conducting such disaster preparedness training as
flood evacuation drills. Through online communities
and crowdsourcing, people from all over the world now
have the power to participate in disaster risk reduction
and recovery efforts. The Humanitarian OpenStreetMap
Team (https://www.hotosm.org/), for example, regularlyorganizes mapathons in which volunteers work together
online to map key infrastructure – buildings, roads, etc. –in areas heavily affected by climate-related disasters.

4.3 Heat waves and rising sea levels
In addition to disasters, other impacts of climatechange on urban development can be seen in graduallyrising urban temperatures and sea levels (Hunt andWatkiss 2011). While rising temperatures pose an issue
for the region as a whole, it is particularly relevant tourban areas. This is because temperatures tend to behigher in cities due to increased human activity, suchas heat generated by vehicle exhausts, low vegetation
cover and the wide use of highly-absorbent construction
materials such as black asphalt (McCarthy et al. 2010).
This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the urban
heat island. So, cities face increasing temperatures due
to changes in both the global and local climate. Overtime, heat islands can raise energy demand and costs,

increase air pollution, affect water availability and quality.
and lead to heat-related illnesses (Box 20; Deilami
et al. 2018). This has direct economic, social andhealth impacts on people living in cities. Rising urban
temperatures are especially concerning for Asia and thePacific given the prevalence of mega-cities in the region.
The coastal location of many cities in the Asia-Pacificregion also increases their exposure to another impactof rising global temperatures, sea-level rise (Prasad
et al. 2009). Sea-level rise can lead to increased flooding
and damage to the built environment, and negatively
affect the health and well-being of urban residents,
particularly the most vulnerable people (Barbier 2014).
It is also important to consider the level of vulnerabilityof the people living in the areas affected by these
problems. For example, as Figure 34 shows, areas witha high risk of sea-level rise and storm surges are often
occupied by poorer, socially disadvantaged people.
Pre-existing social structures and socio-economic
gaps within a society can also hinder people’s ability toadopt mitigation and adaptation approaches to address
the long-term effects of climate change. In this context,
we need to enhance people’s capacities by improvingsocial capital in local communities, municipalities,
countries and regions (Sarzynski 2015). Social capital,
the shared values the understanding within communities
that allows them work together effectively, underpins
effective collective activities for climate change
adaptation – coping with these challenges. The following
subsections provide some examples of approaches
that tackling rising temperatures, including theheat-island effect and sea-level rise. They can beutilized at the local community level, municipality level,
and international level, respectively.

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD65

urban area

flood risk area
<5m (elevation)≥5m (elevation)GDP<10 dollars per day≥10 dollars per day
water bodies

Figure 34: Flood risk and socio-economic gaps
Data sources: NOAA:Estimate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (https://ngdc.noaa.gov/eog/download.html), ORNL:LandScan population
grid (https://landscan.ornl.gov/), NASA:Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) (https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/SRTM).

Green spaces for cooler and closer communities
Conservation or development of natural green areas
as cooling spots can contribute to reducing heatislands as well as enhancing environmental quality(Hatvani-Kovacs et al. 2018). The city of Daegu in the
Republic of Korea provides a striking example of how
local efforts to create extensive green areas has led
to significant reductions of the heat-island effect(Box 21). In Jakarta, Indonesia, it was found that thesekinds of green cooling spots can enhance not only
environmental quality but also the frequency ofcommunication in local communities, as they provide
comfortable places for local people to gather and talkto one another (Murakami et al. 2014). In this regard,
the appropriate design of cooling spots can also
contribute to building social capital, which is importantfor many aspects of community resilience such as
the organization of spontaneous groups of volunteers
for disaster response (Twigg and Mossel 2017]).
Furthermore, the natural cooling spots help to decreaseenergy consumption in the nearby areas, leading tofewer greenhouse gas emissions (Larsen 2015).

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Box 20: Urban heat-island effect and human health
Increasing urban temperatures have a n
 egative impact on human and ecosystem health. Understandingof the causes and effects of urban heat-islands in individual cities is needed to develop countermeasures

Escalating Higher
EFFECTS temperatures,More 

amplified byfrequent
the urban
and severe
heat- island effect heatwaves

Preparedness
and response
OPTIONS

Use of whiteroofs, shadetree planting,and increased
shade

More airconditioning
use andhigher
electricity
demandReduce air
conditioning
demandthrough use of
ENERGY STARappitances

Energysystemstress andincreased
chances ofbrownouts
and power
outagesLackof adequatecooling,
especiallyfor at-risk
populations
such as theelderly

Applicationof smart-grid
technologies
and additionof solar power
generation forsummer peakdemandIncreased
preparedness
through provisonof coolingcentres andprogrammes
to check onelderly andat-risk residents

Increasedchances of
illness anddeath( http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/southwest )In addition to use of natural cooling spots, urban
agriculture is gaining international attention (Lwasa
and Dubbeling 2015). Like natural cooling spots, areasof urban agriculture can contribute to reducing urban
temperatures, improving local environmental quality,
reducing energy consumption and building social
cohesion as well as reducing urban food insecurity.
As with artificial urban infrastructure, the managementof green areas and their connectivity, sometimes calledgreen infrastructure, requires the support of citizens

and collaboration among various sectors including
urban planning, environmental management and social
welfare (Box 22; Andersson et al. 2014; Benedict andMcMahon 2012). In Japan, the city of Yokohama has
implemented an urban greening programme throughwhich a small city tax of around US$ 8 per person islevied to support activities related to forest andagricultural conservation as well as education on thebenefits of urban green space (http://www.city.yokohama.
lg.jp/kankyo/midoriup/english/tax-fund.html).

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLDBox 21: Green Daegu Project to reduce the heat-island effectDaegu, a city in the Republic of Korea, has undergone
widespread development linked to industrialization andurbanization since the early 1980’s (Yoon et al. 1994).
Daegu typically experienced higher temperatures thanother regions because of its geographical location andhigh level of urban development. To counteract thiseffect, the city started creating green areas in 1996,
and has planted 10 million trees in only 10 years – by
2016, a total of 35 million trees had been planted andthere are plans to plant a total of 50 million trees by
2021. As a result of these efforts, the vegetation coverof the city has increased to more than 60 per cent andthe maximum mid-summer temperature decreased by
1.2º Celsius compared to 30 years ago.
The expansion of urban forests have provento be effective in reducing the heat-island effects
as shown below.

Enhancing healthand wellbeing

Two medium-sized trees
can supply oxygen for a single
person for a year

Enhancing economic vitality
Large trees can add 5 – 15% toproperty values, 7% to rental
prices, and increase shopper
spending by 9 – 12%

Reducing effects ofurban heat-islands

Tree cover can reducesurface temperatures byoas much as 10 – 25

Source: https://yoursay.tr.qld.gov.au/greenis/photos/34697
http://info.daegu.go.kr/newshome/mtnmain.php?mtnkey=articleview&mkey=scatelist&mkey2=2&aid=233786

67

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Cooperating Cities for Sustainability

4.4 Adopting sustainable solutions

International city-level collaboration can be anothereffective approach of enhancing urban resilience andsustainability, through, for example, sharing experienceand technology among cities. Such collaboration can
encourage adaptation and mitigation action and policies
on climate change through facilitating urban greening,enhancing social capital and reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and other environmental impacts of cities,
while sustaining their economic activity. To promoteinternational collaboration among cities, city-levelindicators, measurements of a city’s economy orenvironmental sustainability, can be a useful tool.
By comparing the values of different indicators, thesimilarities and differences between cities can beunderstood, allowing for more efficient and effective
communication between cities for policy-making(Uchiyama et al.2015). In addition to facilitatinginternational collaboration, management of cities canbe improved by using the municipal-level indicators.
For example, the City Sustainability Index (Mori et al.
2015; Shen et al. 2011), which is made up of several
indicators including carbon dioxide emissions, grossregional product per person, and measurements ofincome or wealth distribution among residents (theGini coefficient), is often used to evaluate the status
and trends of cities’ environments, economy, andsocietal characteristics and thus guide policy making.
Other information that can be used in the evaluationof cities includes aggregated community-level
census information and micro-level information on
their environmental and socio-economic statuscollected by monitoring activities with citizens.

“To counteract the socioeconomic drivers leading toenvironmental degradation, an economic transformationthat is particularly based on improved energy andtransportation systems and smart green growth forurban areas is urgently needed.” UNEP (2016).
The continuing rapid growth of the Asia-Pacific region’s
economy and the anticipated affluence of approximately
3 billion additional people in the coming years will put
tremendous pressure on its limited natural resources.
The region’s future competitiveness will depend heavily
on progress made in the trasition to a low-carbon futureand on how efficiently the region’s natural resources
are used. Climate change will also have far-reaching
implications for Asia and the Pacific. Sustainable
pathways include dramatically increasing energy
efficiency, reducing reliance on fossil fuels by supporting
the uptake of renewable energy, adopting strategic
approaches to urbanization and eco-friendly building
design, relying more on mass transit and railways forlong-distance transport and changing lifestyles toalleviate pressures on finite natural resources.
Renewable energy – it’s real and reliable
In 2015, the world burned fuels emitting 32.3 billion
tonnes of carbon dioxide (IEA 2017). Of this, 67 per centwas for electricity generation. Even though on a per
kilogram basis it is not as environmentally harmful ascarbon monoxide, methane or nitrous oxide, carbon
dioxide is largely responsible for climate change andrelated disaster events simply because of it abundancein the atmosphere – more than 80 per cent of annual
greenhouse gas emissions are of carbon dioxide.

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

In addition, burning fuel releases harmful pollutants tothe air and water systems, that can affect the well-beingof all living organisms on Earth.
Currently, the world is only generating just less than
13 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources.
By definition, renewable energy sources are thosewhich can be used repeatedly and/or replaced naturally.
Renewable energy sources include wind, the sun (solar),rivers (hydro), biomass, waste, geothermal and tide.
The challenge for Asia and the Pacific is how to provide
for increasing energy demands while improving thecontinuity of energy supplies and reducing greenhousegas emissions. The global instability of oil prices
and the depletion of oil reserves put pressure on
long-term energy supplies. Across the region, fossil fuelresources are unevenly distributed, but each country isabundant with at least one renewable energy resource

69(Figure 35). Nepal alone has a hydropower potential of
83 000 megawatts (MW) while even if Nepal’s demands
increase by 10 per cent a year, domestic demand will
only reach 3 500 MW by 2025 (Shukla et al. 2017).
Moreover, Southeast Asia has double the solar energy
potential of Northern Europe. For many countries
such as India, the generation of rooftop solar energy
for household consumption is cost effective and cansupport household savings over a period of 5–15 years.
Increasing the use of these resources and innovationsin cleaner, sustainable technologies can help theregion go a long way to meeting future energy needssustainably. In addition, emphasizing energy saving
will significantly help deal with limited resources
at a household level, bolstering energy security andreducing dependence on fossil fuels. Community-level
renewable energy development using microgrids canaid energy security on individual, community andnational levels.

Figure 35: Solar (left) and wind (right) renewable energy resource map
in the Asia-Pacific region (IRENA 2017)

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

The costs of generating electricity from various
renewable technologies in Asia are shown in Figure 36.
Plenty of factors affect the actual cost, including labourand site location, so they are represented in the figure
as ranges, with the cost range for coal-based electricity
generation represented by the red broken lines.
Interestingly, only concentrated solar power, solar
photovoltaics and offshore wind have higher costs thancoal-based power generation. Currently, hydropower isthe cheapest renewable option in the region (Figure 36),
while onshore wind gradually becomes more competitive
due to improvement in capacity factors and decreases
in installation, operation and maintenance cost. The
cost for solar photovoltaic generation is following thesame trend.
To put the transition to clean energy on track, stablepolicies and clear regulatory processes should be inplace. Inconsistent, complicated and unpredictablepolicies have been regarded as the biggest obstacles
to increasing investment in renewable energy projects.
Having concrete targets and roadmaps from thegovernment would significantly enhance theattractiveness of such projects.
In addition, total investment in renewable energy stilllags behind the estimate of what is needed to meetthe goal of the UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement of keeping global
temperature rise this century well below 2º Celsius
above pre-industrial levels. Many governments are
introducing de-risking instruments and covering
early-stage financing to initiate private investment,in addition to traditional financial instruments suchas grants. These new financing mechanisms could
encourage investment from diverse stakeholders
promoting accessibility to various renewable energy
investment opportunities.

2014 US$/kWh

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
Hydropower

Geothermal

Solar
Concentrated
photovoltaic solar power

Onshorewind

Offshore
wind

Solid
biomass

Figure 36: Levelized cost of electricity from different technologies in Asia.
The red broken lines show the cost range for coal-based power generation

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

Energy and water efficiency: save some for tomorrow!
Energy efficient homes provide financial savingsand have the added benefit of reducing greenhousegas emissions that are intensifying climate change.
Improving the energy efficiency of your home andappliances will reduce electricity bills associated withlighting, cooling heating and the running of appliances.
Similar opportunities exist to reduce energy related
emissions and operating costs in the industrial andbusiness sectors. Improving the energy efficiency ofcommercial and industrial activities in mining,
agriculture, textile production and food processing,among others, will support significant positiveenvironmental outcomes and financial savings.
Similar to energy, water efficiency in the operation ofindustries and businesses in Asia and the Pacific has
the potential to reduce ongoing costs and promote thesustainable consumption of freshwater. Freshwater isembedded in most of the things we consume and use,from the meat we eat to the aluminium we carry our
drinks in – 20 litres of water are needed to produce asingle can. While the water we use at home may seemtrivial in comparison, its conservation is a step towards
increasing our knowledge and conscious use of this life
sustaining resource. And of course, water conservation
at a domestic level will both help to reduce the monthly
operating cost of households and safeguard this
precious resource.
That’s a cool house!
Buildings account for 40 per cent of the total worldwide
energy use and around 30 per cent of global carbon
dioxide emissions (Zang and Cooke, 2010). This share71

could double or triple by 2050 if we do not act, asbuildings have a long lifecycle that locks in theirenergy use (WBCSD 2018).
Building design influences the water and energy
efficiency of a home. There are plenty of nifty waysof achieving household efficiency some of which are
shown in Figure 37. Heating and cooling requirements
are the primary source of energy consumption inbuildings (Ürge-Vorsatz 2015). In addition to a varietyof green technologies that are available to increaseenergy efficiency, building design guidelines arecontinually being adopted throughout the region.
A sustainable building will cost only marginally more
to construct, but the initial cost will be recovered as theoperating costs of this type of building are lower thanthose of a conventional structure (Weerasinghe 2017).
An example of sustainable building design is Josh’s
House in Australia. Josh Byrne, an environmental
scientist and well-known ABC television gardening
presenter, actively engaged the public in the step-bystep build of his own home, known as Josh’s House.
The house does not need air conditioning or heating,generates its own electricity, and harvests and recycles
water. The building achieved ten stars in the Nationwide
House Energy Rating Scheme of Australia. (Joshhouse.
com.au).

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Metal/ lightcoloured roofing

Solar panel

Light coloured
exterior walls

Behaviour changes:
turn off lights andother devices when
not in use

Building with trees
shade on the eastand the west

Low flow andduel flush
toilets

Alternative
energy source
solar panel
water heater

High quality
insulation andsealing
Native plantings

ENERGY STAR*
Appliances and light
fixturesRainwater collection
to water gardens,
flush toilets and wash
clothes

Behaviour changes:
make sure water taps
are not left open when
not in use

Figure 37: The many ways you can convert your house into a sustainable home

Sustainable buildings: a long-term investment

A video link
https://joshshouse.com.au/videos/series-1-the-build/

The types of materials selected at the design stageof building a home will impact its longer-termsustainability. These choices have implications forsaving energy, improving resilience to climate events

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD73

and improving comfort for its inhabitants. Selecting
materials made from repurposed or recycled products
will reduce the house’s carbon footprint and cut
construction costs significantly.

lifetime of a building by proper orientation to minimize
direct sunlight at the hottest times of the day and throughthe installation of insulation, double-glazed windows
and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems.

Passive design relies on the climate to maintain a
comfortable temperature in a building (Box 22). Suchdesign considerations can play significant roles not
only in reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also
in lowering household heating- and cooling-related
expenses. The energy efficiency of buildings can be
improved through passive design considerations. A
significant amount of energy can be conserved over the

Passive building solutions need to be adapted to thecountry and local climate. Aside from designing passivebuildings or taking the opportunity to incorporate
sustainable design aspects during renovations to existingbuildings, monitoring the operational performance isimportant. One of the easiest ways to do this is tomonitor the energy usage through electricity bills andthe thermal comfort of the inhabitants.

Box 22: What is a Passive House?
The following video provides information on the basic principles of a passive house

A video link
https://player.vimeo.com/video/74294955

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

How sustainable is your daily commute?
Transport is one of the most energy-intensive sectors
in the world today – and there is something that canbe done about it. In 2015, 29 per cent of the world’s
energy consumption was just for transport (IEA 2018)– roughly 1.1 litres of oil per person per day. In termsof emissions, transport was responsible for 7 737.8
million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions (IEA 2017),
the main greenhouse gas. To that has to be added
costs to human health and other damage done bypollution. It is alarming how motorized transportation
has become something we cannot live without, as daily
travel distances have gown longer due to urbanization(Figure 38). Because of this, transport poses a threat
to climate, energy security, health and even access tobasic services.
Transport is a multi-faceted problem. On one hand,
the world is fortunate to see the development ofalternatives to fossil-fuel powered vehicles, such as
pure electric and hybrid vehicles as well as biofuel,fuel-cell and natural-gas powered vehicles (Lopez et al.
2018). However, the increasing dependence on private
cars is a fundamental problem in itself. In developed
countries, more than half of passenger transport is in
private vehicles. In developing ones, it is almost evenly
shared between private and public modes. As income
levels rise in developing countries, private vehicle use is
expected to rise even more.
As motorcycle transport is huge in Asia, it is alsointeresting to look into. Two- and three-wheelers
make up 60–90 per cent of the road vehicle fleet inSoutheast Asia (IEA 2018), the majority of which arein the 125 cubic centimetre (cc) range. According toa Vietnamese case study (Bray and Holyoak 2015),
flexibility, shorter travel times and moderate purchasecosts make motorcycles a popular option. A study in
Iran (Hassani and Hosseini 2016) estimated thatmotorcycles use 78 per cent less fuel than passenger
cars per 100 kilomtres travelled on average. The same
study revealed, however, that motorcycles emit
250 per cent more carbon monoxide, 130 per centmore total unburned hydrocarbons, but 87 per centless nitrogen oxides per kilometre travelled than apassenger car. It seems pretty straightforward when
we only look at purchase and operational costs, but
a little more thought is worthwhile when we begin
add societal considerations to the picture.
The transport problem is as much social as it istechnical. How many of you would be willing to takea bus or train or even bike or walk to work? Taking
the bus to work could reduce your transport emissions
per kilometre by as much as 99 per cent. One
remarkable transport story concerns Singapore,
which has made great efforts to control private vehicle
ownership rates and ensure high quality public transport
services. During peak hours, a train arrives every
2–3 minutes while buses come every 10 minutes.
To control private car ownership, Singapore operates
a vehicle quota system and electronic road pricing(LTA 2017a; LTA 2017b). One of the city’s ultimate
goals is to have a train station within a 10-minute walkfor all households by 2030. In addition, there is a trend
towards mixed-use land development, which combines
multiple land uses in the same area, such as residential,
work and recreation, to reduce the need for long distancetravel (Banister 2008). Singapore also encourages
walking, jogging and cycling in the city. The city of
Adelaide in Australia fully supports what Singapore

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

75

Figure 38: Traffic jam in Bangkok
Source: GEO-6 Asia-Pacific Regional Report

has pioneered and has published its own mixed-use
development guide, which can be found here (https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/planning-development/ )for further reference.
Another interesting development in transport is sparked
by developments in internet technology (Figure 39).

Bike sharing, for example, has become huge in a many
cities in Asia and the Pacific. In Shanghai, China, forinstance, users rent bikes using a mobile phone
application, making all transactions over the internet.
Other examples include increasing opportunities towork from home or conduct meetings, shop or bookrides all through the power of the internet.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Figure 39: A row of bikes available for rent. Left: Users rent the bikeby scanning a code at the rear of the bike with their mobile phones
Source: Lingmin Peng, Tongji University, Shanghai, China

Put the plan in urban planning

Water is the sauce of life

Urban sprawl and unregulated urban development haslead to the loss of valuable natural areas. Urbanizationis competing with finite arable land and naturallandscapes, which is having negative effects on theenvironment and food security, water supplies, andoveruse of local resources. Unregulated urbanization
has the potential to create social issues including highlevels of poverty, high unemployment and a lack ofsocial services.

Water is a fundamental but finite natural resource.
As cities and urban areas in Asia and the Pacific grow,large volumes of rainwater run off impermeablesurfaces, changing the timing, speed and volume ofwater flows in waterways and bays. Water-sensitive
urban design aims to mimic the natural water cycle
as closely as possible by utilizing urban planning andbuilding design to manage and stop stormwater fromentering exposed waterways. Drainage and stormwater
management considerations in planning and urban

CHAPTER 4: SUSTAINABILITY AND RESILIENCE IN A CHANGING WORLD

design are key climate change adaptation tools used
for flood-risk reduction, protecting the natural water
cycle and the health of aquatic ecosystems (City ofGreater Geelong 2018).
Irrigation for agriculture is responsible for 70 per cent of
total global water withdrawals. Increasing efficiency inirrigation and improved agricultural water management
could increase freshwater availability, catalyse
development, reduce soil erosion and lead to increased
and diversified agricultural yields (Wenzlau 2013).
Enhancing water efficiency in agriculture will bolster
water security and increase our ability to provide thenutritional requirements of growing populations. Thisis critical for the Asia-Pacific region’s population that isprojected to rise to nearly 5 billion by 2050 (UN 2014).

4.5 Alert today, alive tomorrow
Urbanization and infrastructure development willcontinue in the years to come. Sustainable design andpractices will have to be part of the strategy to ensure
good quality of life for generations to come. However,socio-economic challenges such as income inequality,
cultural differences and gender issues need to be also
kept in mind and addressed. Low-income communities,
for example, tend to live in higher-risk areas forflooding and landslide events, exacerbating theirvulnerability. Cultural differences also affect social
cohesion in the city, and largely impact decision
making for disaster response. The considerationof gender is also significant in the transition tosustainability. Indeed, recent studies have shownthat women have significant influence on householdenergy consumption due to the division of labour in
traditional societies.

77

Moreover, settlements and communities will have to
become resilient to the more frequent and intenseclimate-related hazards occurring due to climatechange. It is not enough, however, to only focus on thetechnical aspects of these issues, as vulnerability to
the impacts of climate change often varies according
to people’s socio-economic status. Unfortunately,as a result of climate change induced migration, we
also see more frequent cases of human trafficking.
Populations particularly at greater risk from climateinduced hazards include internally displaced persons,
women-headed households and children who lose theirparents during the subsequent disasters. There may beplenty of social factors which divide us, but there arecertainly more things that tie us together, including
this precious planet on which we live and the value weput on life.
Sustainability and resilience in water and food systems
are equally important issues. Overall, there are manyother potential measures that each of us can taketo improve the resilience and sustainability of ourcommunities and livelihoods. A informed community
can face the challenges of a changing world, andcontinue to thrive for generations to come. In the
concluding chapter, youth perspectives on the SDGs
and environmental issues are presented, and we reflect
on what young people need to do as a colhesive groupto further influence real change.

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Tips and recommendations:• Learn more about the exposure of your house to climate-related hazards – check local flood
		 hazard maps, etc.
• Participate in , or lead, a local disaster preparedness exercise.
• Leave your car at home. Try public transport – you’ll appreciate it in time.
• Be conscious of your water and energy consumption -- save money and help save the world too!

Box 23: Mizuki Shikimachi, professional violinist
Mizuki is a young violinist who plays the tsunami violin – a violin made from the debris from the Great East
Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011. He is a remarkably resilient young man himself, having overcome
cerebellar hypoplasia through his violin, and is now aspiring to build the resilience of society through music.
This interview was conducted just for GEO-6 for Youth, and contains the first ever recording of a song ,titled Road to hope, he composed himself during a visit to the disaster-affected areas. Enjoy!

A video link
https://youtu.be/YfQB_5uCn8Y?list=PLNNslwnSnPNDIYhSgyOl8fLrc93n0RRc1

CHAPTER

5

Transition
to Action

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

5.1 Our goals, our vision

Table 1: The future in 2050 as perceived by youth
Youth envision a future where…

This is 2050.
The region's population growth has seemingly
slowed down. We have managed to achieve zeropoverty. The income gap, gender gap anddiscrimination have r���������
ly compared
to 2020. All energy is renewable. All homes can
now generate their own energy as well as treat
their own waste and wastewater. There is less

Youth do NOT want a future where…

This is 2050.
Humans are slowly dying out due to a widespreadpandemic caused by a mutation of a virus found infactory-raised meat.
Sea levels have risen by 8 meters since 2020 due tomass melting of ice at the northern and southernpoles. There are no more natural forests. FrequentCHAPTER 5: TRANSITION TO ACTION

81

Table 1: The future in 2050 as perceived by youth (cond.)
Youth envision a future where…

Youth do NOT want a future where…

waste, and some countries have even achieved
zero waste, as manufacturers take complete
responsibility for 100 per cent 3Rs (reduce-reuserecycle) of their products.

conflicts occur through groups wishing to control
fossil-fuel reserves, although not many are left. A
couple of years back, a terrorist group simultaneously
detonated nuclear bombs in many of the world’s top
cities, making them uninhabitable.

Miraculously, the international community has
successfully banned all military weapons, including
nuclear ones. These resources have beenredirected to improving education.
More than half the land on Earth has been
designated as natural reserves, and the restis certified as Satoyama – where people live
sustainably with nature while enjoying thevarious benefits it provides.
Biodiversity is slowly coming back thanks toa global multi-stakeholder effort. Delicious
vegetarian meals have become the norm sincemeat is now taxed according to its water, carbon
and nitrogen footprints. People no longer need towash vegetables or fruit as hazardous chemical
products are no longer used in agriculture.

People are happy and contented.
This is paradise.

Drinking water is regulated, with taps only operating
once a day. Only the rich can afford the luxury ofclean water, while others in the world use watercontaminated by viruses, pathogens and residual
pharmaceuticals that people are taking in attempt
to combat the pandemic.
Land has become so contaminated that farmers canonly grow food in factories. The weather is either
burning hot or pouring rain. Floods are frequent, withrobbery, violent crimes and social unrest occurring
after the flood events. Undesireable cockroaches,
flies and mosquitoes are thriving, while most otherinsects are extinct due to the use of pesticides.
The oceans are empty except for the Great PacificGarbage patch, which is now larger than Australia
and has been dubbed Garbactica to replace the lossof Antarctica.
People do not talk about nightmares anymore
because we are living one; every day.

Source: independent survey conducted by GEO-6 for Youth Asia-Pacific team.
Figure : Mirza Nasir Baig, 2016 International Cartoon Competition on Environ mental Protection

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Youth and the Sustainable Development Goals
In September 2015, the international community
agreed to a new vision and a set of global goals fora better world by 2030 – the Agenda for Sustainable
Development 2030 and 17 SDGs, described in thepreamble of this report (page VI) or at:
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sustainable-development-goals/
When asked about the most important global goal toaddress environmental issues in the GEO-6 for YouthAsia-Pacific survey, young people highlighted SDG 12:
Responsible Sustainable Consumption and Production.
SDG 12 was also raised in the GEO-6 Asia-Pacific 2015
report as key to economic transformation of the region(UNEP 2015). Achieving economic growth andsustainable development require that we urgently
reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way
we consume and produce goods and resources. A
large share of the world’s population is still consuming
far too little to meet even its basic needs. Halving perperson food waste at retail and consumer levels is also
important for creating more efficient production andsupply chains. This would help with food security andshift us towards a more resource efficient economy.
Only 20 per cent of young people surveyed, however,recognized the importance of SDG 17: Partnerships
for the Goals although it is the critical factor that binds
all the other goals together (SDGs 1–16). One of thecomponents of SDG 17 is capacity building and as aresult, government and civil society should actively
seek out substantive awareness-raising and engagementof youth in international, regional and national-level
discourse, planning and implementation. For this,improving access to technology and knowledge isimportant. However, more than half the world’s
population, that is 4 billion people, do not have accessto the internet, and 90 per cent of them are from thedeveloping world. Increasing the number of people
who can easily access this portal to the world andopportunity would make a huge difference in achieving
the SDGs!
The role of youth as active agents of change in achieving
the SDGs is crucial as illustrated in Chapter 1. Youngprofessionals of today will be at the forefront in decision
making and be role models –approaching environmental
challenges in innovative and integrated ways as
future leaders, educators, business people and driversof sustainability.

5.2 Act now
Youth perceptions
As mentioned earlier, an online survey was conducted
to understand youth perceptions. More than 200 young
people across Asia and the Pacific shared their ideas
on, opinions about and understanding of the SDGs, thecurrent state of the environment and the future. When
asked about the current state of the environment,
91 per cent agreed that it is deteriorating (Figure 40).
It is encouraging to know, however, that in the face ofenvironmental challenges, about half of those surveyed
felt empowered to take action (Figure 41).
In the same survey, the youth ranked SDGs 12:

CHAPTER 5: TRANSITION TO ACTION

disagree 2%neither agree
nor disagree 7%

agree 27%strongly agree 64%

Figure 40: Youth perception: is the state of the environment deteriorating?
None of the young people surveyed strongly disagreed
Source: GEO Youth for Asia and the Pacific Survey

strongly disagree(there is something I can do!)17%

disagree 34%

strongly agree 5%agree 16%

neither agree nor
disagree 28%

Figure 41: Youth perception: in the face of environmental challenges, I feel helpless…
Source: GEO Youth for Asia and the Pacific Survey

83

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Responsible Consumption and Production, 13:
Climate Action and 4: Quality Education as the threemost important SDGs in relation to tackling current
environmental issues. The urgency to focus on these
SDGs can be seen from the following facts:
Around 1.3 billion tonnes of food iswasted every year whereas 2 billion
people go hungry and are undernourished. At the same time, around theworld about 2 billion people are obese
or overweight.

Youth as game-changers
Asia and the Pacific is home to successful role models
and champions. Take a look at the compilations ofsuccessful initiatives and stories in the region shown
below (Box 24).
Young people are acting at various levels across theregion. What is your plan of action?

Since 1970, the number of natural
hazard events has gone up by almost
400 per cent. Between 1901 and 2010,sea level has risen by 19 centimetresdue to warming temperatures andmelting ice.
103 million young people worldwide
lack basic literacy skills and more than
60 per cent of them are women. In
developing countries, one in four girls
do not go to school.

What are your views?
Take a few minutes of your time today to share your ideas on the same questions:
https://goo.gl/forms/JregH5XFblftNeGH3
Results will be presented at International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability to beheld on World Environment Day on 5th June 2019

CHAPTER 5: TRANSITION TO ACTION

Box 24: Initiatives by youth and children across the Asia-Pacific Region
Upcycling of used banners
In the Republic of Korea, about 5,000 tons of banners are used every year. To address the problem,
Korea Polytechnic University and Sangmyung University produced and distributed eco-bags, madefrom used banners on campus. Touch4Good, a social enterprise founded in 2008 by youth, is also
producing and selling upcycled canvas banners. Read more.
World’s largest beach clean-up
In 2015, Afroz Shah and his neighbors started cleaning the accumulated waste on Versova Beach in
Mumbai, India. Soon, the Versova Resident Volunteers group was formed. In 2016, their efforts wererecognised internationally with the UN Environment calling it the “world’s largest beach clean-up in
history”. Read more.
Sustainable community-based waste and sanitation management
Yuyun Ismawati of Bali, Indonesia, implemented community-based waste and sanitation
management programs that provide employment opportunities to low-income populations
and empower them to improve the environment. Ismawati also supported national agencies indeveloping Indonesia’s first-ever bill on waste management. Read more.
Innovative solar heater
Teoh Siang Teik of Malaysia designed and patented a solar water heater, which doesn't require
electricity and can be built using materials available at a local hardware store. Read more.

Environmental awareness
Kindergartens South in New Zealand won the Environmental Action in Education Award inrecognition of their Nature Discovery programme, carried out on a ten-acre block of land. It offers
children from 11 kindergartens the opportunity to understand the environment, and grow theirecological identities. Read more.

85

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Reforestation initiative in Fiji
Youths of Biausevu village in Fiji are conserving biodiversity by replanting native Fijian trees. The
project provided the villagers a joint goal and raised awareness about the importance of protecting
their natural resources. Read more.

Turning Mongolia green
Tsendsuren Deleg established the first angiosperm (flowering plant) nurseries in Mongolia. Each
year, her nurseries produce 850,000 saplings and plants. Her nurseries contribute to the greening ofMongolia and provide jobs for the unemployed. Read more.

Agroforestry as a lever for positive change
A group of villagers in Khao Din, Thailand, replaced monoculture cash crops with an agroforestry
system featuring a variety of trees and crops for food, trees, and medicine. They successfully
reversed the decline of green cover, restored ecological health, and forged a stronger community.
Read more.

Empowerment through energy
In 2012 six young Australians set up Pollinate Energy, an initiative to provide children living in slums
in Bangalore, India with light to study. Through the distribution network and phone app developed,
products such as water purifiers, clean cooking facilities, and sanitation equipment were distributed.
Today, Pollinate Energy is working across many cities beyond Bangalore and is selling a diverse
range of products aiming to break the cycle of poverty. Read more.
Energy-efficient stoves to stop deforestation
Corn is the main produce of Son La, Viet Nam. Nguyen Duc Chinh designed an improved stove
which could use corn cobs and husks for fuel. Introduction of the new stove eliminated the need forcollecting firewood, decreasing deforestation. Read more.

CHAPTER 5: TRANSITION TO ACTION

Sustainable lunch boxes
Tharushi Widushika Rajapaksa, a 17 year old girl from Sri Lanka, has created the reusable andbiodegradable "alternative lunch pack" as an alternative to polythene “lunch sheets”. Read more.
Turning waste into fuelShutong, a young professional in China, founded a company which turns waste
cooking oil into biodiesel for transportation. This simultaneously tackles thechallenges of food safety, waste, and pollution across the air, road and marine sectors.
Read more.

Reusable sanitary pads for a sustainable futureAngelica Salele is promoting reusable sanitary pads in Samoa to reduce plastic waste.
Read more.

Reusable products to reduce waste
Fides Gimenez is the founder of GoZero, a startup company providing sustainable
alternatives to single-use plastic products in the Philippines. Her products currently
include metal drinking straws and bamboo toothbrushes. Read more.

Robots enabling environmental and human-friendly workstyles
In 2018, a cafe was launched in Tokyo, Japan, where customers could beserved by robots operated remotely by persons with disabilities. Kentaro
Yoshifuji, CEO of Ory Lab and developer of these robots, started his career as
an inventor in high school and was selected as one of the “30 under 30 Asia” byForbes Magazine in 2016. His robots are in use all over the world by children
remotely receiving education, teleworkers, and persons with disabilities.
Read more.

87

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

Follow the action, tips and recommendations from GEO Youth Asia and the Pacific, join us by:(1) introducing the e-book to your community or inserting an environmental sustainability session
			 in your meetings/seminars. Email a summary with photos/videos of your event to			 geo6-youth.asiapacific@un.org(2) take action on your campus or in your Family and/or community on selected SDGs, and email
			 a summary with photos/videos of your event to geo6-youth.asiapacific@un.org(3) participate in Youth Empowerment - 2018-2019 International Cartoon Competition on
			 Environmental Protection, see http://cartoon.chinadaily.com.cn/zhuanti/dasai/2018/dongtaiview.
			 shtml?id=1860(4) share your views on SDGs and support their promotion: take a few minutes of your time today to			 share your ideas at https://goo.gl/forms/JregH5XFblftNeGH3
Participants from Asia and the Pacific with innovative ideas will be invited to the World Environment
Day Conference in 2019-2020 at Tongji University, Shanghai, China, to share experiences with youth
leaders from around the globe.

Together we can do it
In the previous chapters, we have highlighted various
environmental issues and corresponding action we cantake to address them. And fortunately, you, young
people, have validated the urgent need for somechange through the survey. However, what else do
we need to do to create real change?
One key aspect requiring collective action is thescience-business-policy dialogue. In this digital age,young people are faced with the burden of wading
through a lot of false information and misinformed
perspectives. Because of this, decision making basedon sound science must be promoted. Moreover, it is
not a secret that real change cannot be realized without

involving the largest corporations in the world – you
and I can only do so much. You, the world’s youth, will
have to influence policy makers and businesses equally
to take action on the issues we highlight in this report.
Achieving the SDGs will involve governments in
implementing strong policies and taking decisiveenvironmental action and we, young people, should
actively support them. Governments will have to beefficient in carrying out their current responsibilities
and young people can assist them implement effective
environmental assessments and monitoring throughcitizen science and citizen journalism. Public
participation often mitigates conflicts and generates
more opinions and solutions to problems.

CHAPTER 5: TRANSITION TO ACTION

International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability, Tongji University, Shanghai, China,
International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability (ISCES) has been hosted eachyear by the United Nations Environment Programme, Tongji University, Beijing Environment Foundation
for Young Talents and Xinhua News Agency since 2011 in the week of the World Environment Day on 5th
June. It aims to provide young people with access to the international stage to raise their voices onenvironmental and sustainable development issues.
Free Registration for 2019 International Student Conference on Environment and Sustainability to be held
on World Environment Day on 10th – 14th June 2019
Venue: Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Date: 10th – 14th June 2019
Contact: unep_tongji@tongji.edu.cn
Website: http://unep-iesd.tongji.edu.cn/(2018-2019)
International Cartoon Competition on Environmental Protection
The theme of the cartoon competition is Youth Empowerment/Youth Action. Focus your cartoons on thetheme of the competition, though contributions relating to environment protection will also be accepted.
Organizers: China Daily, United Nations Environment Programme, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
China Environmental Protection Foundation; China Journalistic Caricature Society; Tongji University.
Website: http://unep-iesd.tongji.edu.cn/index.php?classid=169&newsid=3043&t=show

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Moreover, the youth can influence businesses by being
mindful in their purchases, and the services they use. If
we are well informed and really understand importantenvironmental issues, with time we can make thecorrect decisions for he planet and future generations.
For more details of specific action young people cantake and more, see The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving
the World.

5.3 Be the change you want to
see in the world
The environment is currently facing a lot of challenges
and deteriorating. For thousands of years, the Earthand humanity have shared a wonderful and nurturing
relationship, but over time people have exhausted
some of the Earth’s resources and significantly altered
its state. It may now seem inevitable that everything
will come to an end, but the battle is not yet lost. Let
us take this opportunity to create the most coveted
twist in this story, and work towards a vision of a better
tomorrow. There are certainly limits to what each of
us can achieve on our own, but collaboration at family,community, local, national, regional and global levels
can have significant impacts and lead to wonderfulresults. It is our turn, let’s make it happen!
This brings us to the end of the report. We hope you
have enjoyed reading it as much as we have writing it.
Please spread the word!
The GEO6 for Youth Asia-Pacific Team :-)89

List of boxes,
figures and table

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GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT OUTLOOK FOR YOUTH IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC

LIST OF BOXES
Box 1:
Box 2:
Box 3:
Box 4:
Box 5:
Box 6:
Box 7:
Box 8:
Box 9:
Box 10:Box 11:
Box 12:
Box 13:
Box 14:
Box 15:
Box 16:
Box 17:
Box 18:Box 19:Box 20:Box 21:
Box 22:
Box 23:
Box 24:

GEO for youth – Asia and the Pacific
Forest gardeners
Bees, give me honey!
Reafforestation in the Kubuqi Desert
Homegardens – special food production systems
Preserving wetlands in Colombo, Sri Lanka
Could we lose the largest coral reef in the world to climate change?
Two examples of marine protected areas in Southeast Asia and their management approaches.
The Seoul Action Plan – aligning with the Sustainable Development Goals
Nobuyuki Ishiwata, Organic Farmer
Youth voices for GEO-6: Monika Seryu, Paracanoeist
Allies in the war against crop infestation
Urban culture, why not urban agriculture?
How tiny plastics are entering our soil
Simple ways to reuse big volume of plastics!
Food Stock Exchange
Singapore food waste to digester
In Indonesia, commuters pay bus fares with plastic waste
Highlights of Chapter 4
Urban heat-island effect and human healthGreen Daegu Project to reduce the heat-island effect
What is a Passive House?
Mizuki Shikimachi, professional violinist
Initiatives by youth and children across the Asia-Pacific Region

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: 		 The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) formulated by the United Nations member countries in 2015
Figure 2: Mother Earth and us
Figure 3: Summary of the economic, social and environmental potential and challenges in Asia and the PacificFigure 4: Earth’s natural systems have provided people with huge numbers of resources, which, in turn, support
		 human health and well-being. The four systems – land, freshwater, coastal and marine, and urban –		 are important foundations supporting sustainable communities, providing natural resource security,
		 mitigating climate change, and delivering bountiful ecological benefits

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Figure 5: 		 Planting and growing trees is one of the cheapest and most effective ways of soaking up excess
		CO2 from the atmosphere and is key to achieving sustainable and secure water supplies
Figure 6: 		 Freshwater systems provide ecosystem functions such as regulating water quantity and quality,
supporting habitats and biodiversity, and maintaining the equilibrium of physiological processes		(Grizzetti et al. 2016; Sandin and Solimini 2009). These systems provide a variety of ecological benefits
that are directly and indirectly linked to human survival
Figure 7: 		 Trends for 2000–2015 showing the usage status for drinking water and sanitation for urban, rural and		 total populations in Asia and the Pacific (UNICEF 2017)
Figure 8: 		 A summary of the water footprints of major agricultural products
Figure 9. Wetlands serve as important habitats and provide a range of ecological services to people (Gregg andWheeler 2018; ADB 2016). In particular, they provide important natural controls against floods (Kadykalo
and Findlay 2016). Wetlands are natural reservoirs that act just like sponges, storing water and buffering
against flood damage (Kusler and Riexinger 1986)
Figure 10. An overview of significant coastal and marine systems’ ecological benefits to people’s well-being, as well		 as their current status and major threats
Figure 11: Relative contribution to reducing the three elements of poverty in four sites in Asia and the PacificFigure 12: Co-benefits to other SDGs of achieving targets for SDG 14: Life below water
Figure 13: Urban systems may look artificial but they could play an important role in the sustainability of modern
cities. City dwellers can derive numerous ecological benefits when living in urban areas,		 as seen in the figure.
Figure 14: Otter-ly encouraging! Having not been spotted in the 70s and 80s, smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale
perspicillata) were thought to have become extinct in Singapore – but then they were seen again in thecity’s wetlands in the 1990s. Since 2007, these otters have moved into the urban areas such as the
man-made reservoirs of Serangoon and Punggol, as well as other highly urbanized places including
Marina Bay and Changi Airport. These urban areas appear to offer otter populations a healthy supply offish and suitable den sites safe from any disturbances, despite human presence
Figure 15: To explore the role of ecosystems play in helping people adapt to climate change in coastal areas and		 learn more about coastal ecosystem-based adaptation
Figure 16: Life on the line
Figure 17: Water use trends in Asia and the Pacific. Source: UNEP 2016
Figure 18: Non-sustainable (left) and sustainable (right) water-use practices on atolls
Figure 19: The water cycle and Olympics
Figure 20: Gaseous pollutants and their harmful effects on human beings
Figure 21: Annual mean PM2.5 exposure in selected countries in Asia and the PacificFigure 22: Individual solutions to air pollution
Figure 23: Mismanagement of waste and its associated hazards

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Figure 24: Microplastics are entering our food chain through seafood supply. Watch this for more information
Figure 25: Phones could last longer!
Figure 26: A child and a woman in India working for the informal e-waste recycling sector
Figure 27: Phones could last longer!
Figure 28: Food wastage and the hungry population
Figure 29: Ways to reduce waste
Figure 30: Urban populations, 1980, 2010 and 2050
Figure 31: Night-time lights across Asia and the PacificFigure 32: Floods following Typhoon Milenyo in the Philippines, 2006
Figure 33: Simulating the impacts of land-use changes on flooding
Figure 34: Flood risk and socio-economic gaps
Figure 35: Solar (left) and wind (right) renewable energy resource map in the Asia-Pacific region (IRENA 2017)
Figure 36: Levelized cost of electricity from different technologies in Asia. The red broken lines show the cost range
		 for coal-based power generation
Figure 37: The many ways you can convert your house into a sustainable home
Figure 38: Traffic jam in Bangkok
Figure 39: A row of bikes available for rent. Left: Users rent the bike by scanning a code at the rear of the bike with		 their mobile phones
Figure 40: Youth perception: is the state of the environment deteriorating? None of the young people surveyed		 strongly disagreed
Figure 41: Youth perception: in the face of environmental challenges, I feel helpless…

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: The future in 2050 as perceived by youthReferences

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