Our CEM colleagues, Emilie Strady and Xavier Mari will represent the MIO at two parallel events proposed by France and Japan as part of the 8th Asia Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (8th APFSD; to be held virtually from Thailand from 23 to 26 March 2021. The theme of the 8th APFSD is "Sustainable and resilient recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in Asia and the Pacific".
The APFSD, which is organised by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, is an annual, inclusive intergovernmental forum and regional platform to support countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The following two parallel events will consist of a multidisciplinary round table and Q&A with various experts located in SEE, France and Japan, to discuss past and ongoing projects as well as solution-oriented initiatives (such as research and measurement, monitoring networks and infrastructures, training and awareness-raising).
"Runaway cities in South-East Asia (SEA): Plastic marine pollution". Emilie Strady
Coastal cities are both subjects and sources of all kinds of pollution affecting the region's waterways and oceans. Given their weight as producers of marine litter, the countries of the Asia-Pacific region represent a large part of the problem, but also part of the solution. Implementing measures in Asian countries that pollute the oceans could significantly reduce plastic leaks worldwide.
"Air pollution in South-East Asia (EAS): Trends, debates and solutions". Xavier Mari
As air pollution is a cross-border issue, it needs to be addressed at local, national and regional levels, and there is a need for policy-makers in the region to target multiple pollutants and open up the "PM2.5 black box" to better identify emission sources. Despite the public awareness and some policy measures taken to mitigate air pollution as part of the SEA, there is an urgent need for further action to reduce emissions by applying various tools such as targeted reduction measures, dissemination of knowledge to various private and public actors, local awareness-raising events and, ultimately, improving air quality to safe levels in the long term.