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Development and degradation
ASEAN is the cradle of about 20 percent of the flora and fauna species currently classified by man. Therefore, the region is of paramount importance to ensure sustainable development and a balanced environment. Imposing mountain ranges, perennial forests, winding rivers, and crystal clear lakes, as well as vast sea areas and coral reefs throughout the Southeast Asian region create one of the largest biodiversity treasures worldwide. ASEAN countries cover more than 4.46 million square kilometers where 43 percent of the area is covered by forests home to 27,683 endemic species. Moreover, Southeast Asian countries are home to one-third of the total number of coral reefs worldwide and are also the most diversified coral area.
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However, ASEAN is also an area that is most threatened by the degradation of natural biodiversity resources due to rapid development, careless and excessive hunting and resource exploitation, widespread smuggling of produce, pollution and tourism. The degradation occurs at different levels in different areas, and sometimes it takes place right in sites that are supposedly nature reserves.
Biodiversity preservation and management faces major challenges in nearly all ASEAN member countries. It is a matter of concern at several different levels, from local natural preserves to vast ecological zones, and even on a trans-national scale.
Cooperating in preservation and management
The aforementioned issues were discussed in a symposium by EU and Southeast Asian experts on biodiversity conservation and sustainable management hosted by the National Science and Technology Information Center in cooperation with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the French Agricultural Research Center for International Development. The symposium presented potential for cooperation regarding common concerns held by the European Union and Southeast Asia, and in the meantime pinpointed concrete requirements of Southeast Asian partner countries to get involved more deeply into research projects under the EU framework program (FP7) to promote cooperation between researchers.
Under the framework program, the estimated investment budget for the environment (including climate change) is around 1.8 billion euros from 2007-2013. At the symposium, specialists shared a common view that mounting environmental challenges and depleting natural resources require synergy and cooperation at the national, regional and international level.
Procured interests
Also at the symposium, Ambassador and the head of the European Commission Delegation in Vietnam, Sean Doyle, said that each individual needs to clearly understand and better confront issues like climate change, and identify environmentally friendly technologies to improve the management of natural and man-made resources. Research will look into policy needs, such as appraising implications of EU policies and continuing actions under Kyoto and post-Kyoto protocols.
Also, specialists assume that to ensure sustainable monitoring of the environment and natural resources, there needs to be inter-branch studies aimed at strengthening general awareness about the interaction between the climate, biosphere, ecosystems and human activity. This, it is believed, will help the ASEAN region, particularly Vietnam, spur development of new environmental technologies, environmental tools and services.
In terms of businesses, raising the EUs status in the global environmental technology market will lead to sustainable development, production and consumption by providing business opportunities and enhancing competitiveness, while also benefiting and saving the environment. Utmost attention should be particularly paid to technologies dealing with water treatment, chemicals, construction and forestry.
The environmental program will cover a wide range of fields such as climate change, pollution and risk management (consequences regarding the climate, environment and health, and natural disasters); sustainable natural resources development (conservation and sustainable management of natural and man-made resources and biodiversity, ocean environmental management); environmental technologies (technologies for observation, simulation, prevention and mitigation of adverse implications, pollution treatment, restoration of the natural environment, preservation and development of cultural traditions, assessment, control and testing the operations and viability of technologies); earth surveys and assessment tools (earth and ocean survey systems, environmental oversight methods, forecast methods and the vehicles for sustainable development assessment), etc.
The outcome of the symposium is an important source of information for the European Commissions Directorate-General for Research (EC RTD) to revise cooperative study programs and a vehicle to fund research projects of the environment and biodiversity with ASEAN member countries. Vietnam stands as an important partner of the EU in terms of research and cooperation in this field./.
.Khac Hieu