Focus On Planet Earth - AFRICA SOCIAL CAUSES

ASIA & THE PACIFIC SOCIAL CAUSES

[ Social | Economic | Institutional | Environmental ]

Population size, growth rate, and distribution have contributed significantly to shaping the environment in this region. Looking at demographic trends (population growth rates and densities), the countries most likely to face environmental problems include Maldives , Pakistan , and Bangladesh , closely followed by Nepal , Vietnam , India , and the Philippines (ESCAP, 1995a).

The levels of consumption in Asia and the Pacific vary significantly among countries, but in general as a region, the consumption levels are modest-for instance, with regard to energy consumption (and hence, lower per capita carbon dioxide emissions) (ESCAP, 1995a). Nevertheless, the high population growth rate has been found to strongly correlate with rates of deforestation, expansion of agricultural land, and increasing water scarcity in some countries (ESCAP, 1995a). In recent decades, pressure on arable land resulting from expansion of human settlements, the clearing of land for cultivation, intensive agriculture for intensified food production, and overgrazing has been noted, and has led to the expansion of agricultural areas into forest areas and marginal lands. Migration from rural to urban areas has accounted for some 40 per cent of urban population growth during 1970-90 in most developing countries of the region (ESCAP, 1995a). The major environmental problems associated with urban development, as described earlier, are increasing pollution levels due to the concentrated discharge of gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes into the environment and the consequent destruction of fragile ecosystems.

Deforestation is also a major problem associated with urban expansion. For example, fuelwood meets 50 per cent of the cooking energy needs of the urban population in many countries (ESCAP, 1995a). Coastal areas with sensitive ecosystems have fallen victim to the continued pressure of urbanization in the region. In the Pacific subregion, urban residents are running short of fuelwood as coastal mangroves and inland forests are depleted. In Tuvalu , pressure on the coastal environment has also followed the migration of people from the outer islands to the dense shanty areas in the capital city on the Fogafale Islet (Thistlewaite and Votaw, 1991).

United Nations Environment Programme