Release of major assessment of the state of the environment in Southeast Asia
The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) in collaboration with SEI has published its ASEAN Fifth State of the Environment Report, which shows environmental challenges growing in number and complexity.
– Studies predict a 4.8°C rise in mean annual temperature and a mean 70cm rise in sea level rise by 2100 in Indonesia,the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam, putting tens of millions of coastal dwellers at risk.
– By 2050, two-thirds of the region’s population will be concentrated in urban areas, increasing pressure on urban infrastructure and natural habitats.
– Burning and clearing of forests and peatlands continues to contribute to transboundary haze, especially from Indonesia, which is considered the number one fire hotspot in the region due to rapid expansion of pulpwood and oil palm plantations.
The report focuses on six critical environmental issues: air pollution, including transboundary haze; land and forests; biota and ecosystems; freshwater; oceans and marine ecosystems; and the need for more sustainable production-consumption systems to drive ASEAN to a more resource-efficient future.
Read the full report
Stockholm Environment Institute
