August 10, 2007
Featured on: Bangkok Post
Nations pledge action on health, environment 14 Asian countries sign Bangkok Declaration
Fourteen Asian nations have pledged to strengthen cooperation and political will to tackle environmental health risks and the threat of global warming.
Ministers and high-level environment and health officials from Southeast and East Asian countries yesterday issued the Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health after a two-day meeting in Bangkok, the first of its kind.
Joining the meeting were representatives from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
''The Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health takes us a firm step forward from monitoring and assessment of sectoral issues towards the prevention of health impacts,'' said Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
The regional charter highlights six issues: air quality; water supply, hygiene and sanitation; solid and hazardous waste;toxic chemicals and hazardous substances; climate and ecosystem change and ozone depletion; and contingency planning and preparedness for environmental health emergencies.
Member countries will be assigned to develop action plans at both national and regional levels in accordance with these themes.
Thailand's Public Health and Natural Resources and Environment ministries are to work together on the issues of air quality and toxic chemicals and solid substances.
However, Supat Wangwonwatana, chief of the Pollution Control Department, conceded that it would take a long time before the action plan is completed and put into practice at both national and regional levels. ''The declaration is only the first step for Asian countries to demonstrate our political will on the environmental health issues and work together on each action plan to improve the quality of both the environment and people's health,'' he said.
Nay Htun, a representative of the Chulabhorn Research Institute, was hopeful that the action plans for each area would lead to practices essential for improving the environment and people's health in the region.
HRH Princess Chulabhorn contributed 100 million baht as a preliminary fund for the research due to growing concerns over environmental health risks caused by climate change, he said.
Climate and ecosystem changes caused by global warming have sparked serious concerns over increasing risks of tropical diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.
Dr Poonam Singh, deputy regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Southeast Asia regional office, warned that the region could face an increasing number of malaria cases as well as other emerging diseases. The WHO is currently studying the impact of global warming and its effect on people in the region. The study is expected to be completed by next year, she said.
The policymakers will meet again in South Korea in 2010 to review and update the action plans.
Source: Bangkok Post, Apirdadee Treerutkuarkul
Joining the meeting were representatives from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, the Philippines, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
''The Bangkok Declaration on Environment and Health takes us a firm step forward from monitoring and assessment of sectoral issues towards the prevention of health impacts,'' said Surendra Shrestha, Regional Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.
The regional charter highlights six issues: air quality; water supply, hygiene and sanitation; solid and hazardous waste;toxic chemicals and hazardous substances; climate and ecosystem change and ozone depletion; and contingency planning and preparedness for environmental health emergencies.
Member countries will be assigned to develop action plans at both national and regional levels in accordance with these themes.
Thailand's Public Health and Natural Resources and Environment ministries are to work together on the issues of air quality and toxic chemicals and solid substances.
However, Supat Wangwonwatana, chief of the Pollution Control Department, conceded that it would take a long time before the action plan is completed and put into practice at both national and regional levels. ''The declaration is only the first step for Asian countries to demonstrate our political will on the environmental health issues and work together on each action plan to improve the quality of both the environment and people's health,'' he said.
Nay Htun, a representative of the Chulabhorn Research Institute, was hopeful that the action plans for each area would lead to practices essential for improving the environment and people's health in the region.
HRH Princess Chulabhorn contributed 100 million baht as a preliminary fund for the research due to growing concerns over environmental health risks caused by climate change, he said.
Climate and ecosystem changes caused by global warming have sparked serious concerns over increasing risks of tropical diseases such as dengue fever and malaria.
Dr Poonam Singh, deputy regional director of the World Health Organisation (WHO)'s Southeast Asia regional office, warned that the region could face an increasing number of malaria cases as well as other emerging diseases. The WHO is currently studying the impact of global warming and its effect on people in the region. The study is expected to be completed by next year, she said.
The policymakers will meet again in South Korea in 2010 to review and update the action plans.
Source: Bangkok Post, Apirdadee Treerutkuarkul