National Case Studies of National Case Studies of Environmental Reporting Environmental Reporting

in Asia and the Pacificin Asia and the Pacific

Angkana RawichutiwanAngkana Rawichutiwan

Thailand Environment Institute (TEI)Thailand Environment Institute (TEI)

9 September 20089 September 2008

OutlineOutline

Regional overviewRegional overview

National case studiesNational case studies

• ChinaChina

• ThailandThailand

• PakistanPakistan

Regional OverviewRegional Overview

Environmental assessment in Asia and Environmental assessment in Asia and the Pacific.the Pacific.

National state of environment (SoE) National state of environment (SoE) reporting process in 11 countries: China, reporting process in 11 countries: China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa. Australia, New Zealand, and Samoa.

Key areasKey areas

The legal basis and historical backgroundThe legal basis and historical background The scope, content, and conceptual The scope, content, and conceptual

framework framework The uses and constraints of SoE reporting The uses and constraints of SoE reporting

in public communication and policy makingin public communication and policy making

Regional OverviewRegional Overview

The diversity of the result reflects:The diversity of the result reflects: the institutional agreements within the the institutional agreements within the

countries;countries; the difference in legislative or policy the difference in legislative or policy

requirements; andrequirements; and the various constraints each country facesthe various constraints each country faces

1. Assessment and reporting 1. Assessment and reporting frameworksframeworks

Legal basisLegal basis• Required by national environmental Required by national environmental

legislation: China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, legislation: China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bhutan, and AustraliaPakistan, Bhutan, and Australia

• General obligation: Kazakhstan, General obligation: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Samoa Turkmenistan, and Samoa

• No specific legislation: New ZealandNo specific legislation: New Zealand• The 1998 Aarhus Convention parties: The 1998 Aarhus Convention parties:

Kazakhstan and TurkmenistanKazakhstan and Turkmenistan

1. Assessment and reporting 1. Assessment and reporting frameworks (cont.)frameworks (cont.)

History of reportingHistory of reporting• Japan: 1972Japan: 1972• Australia: 1986Australia: 1986• Most countries: 1990sMost countries: 1990s

Frequency of reportingFrequency of reporting• Every 5 years: Australia and New ZealandEvery 5 years: Australia and New Zealand• Every year: China, Japan, Thailand, and Every year: China, Japan, Thailand, and

VietnamVietnam• One report: Pakistan (in 2005)One report: Pakistan (in 2005)

2. Coverage and dissemination2. Coverage and dissemination

Thematic and issue-based reportingThematic and issue-based reporting

• Theme-based: China, Pakistan, Bhutan, Theme-based: China, Pakistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Australia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Australia, and New Zealand.and New Zealand.

• Issue-based: JapanIssue-based: Japan

• Both: Thailand, Vietnam, and Samoa.Both: Thailand, Vietnam, and Samoa.

2. Coverage and dissemination 2. Coverage and dissemination (cont.)(cont.)

Conceptual frameworks and indicatorsConceptual frameworks and indicators• Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework.Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework.• Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response

(DPSIR) framework.(DPSIR) framework.• No explicit framework or adapted framework.No explicit framework or adapted framework.

LanguageLanguage DisseminationDissemination

3. Uses3. Uses

SoE reports do not contain any SoE reports do not contain any recommendations: China, Kazakhstan, recommendations: China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and New Zealand.Turkmenistan, and New Zealand.

SoE reports contain recommendations: SoE reports contain recommendations: Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan, Bhutan, Australia, and Samoa.Australia, and Samoa.

4. Constraints4. Constraints

In preparing the reports In preparing the reports • Financial and technical weakness.Financial and technical weakness.• A lack of accurate, national consistent A lack of accurate, national consistent

environmental data.environmental data.• A lack of an agreed set of national A lack of an agreed set of national

environmental indicators.environmental indicators.• Limited human and financial resources.Limited human and financial resources.

4. Constraints (cont.)4. Constraints (cont.)

In response to the recommendations In response to the recommendations and findingsand findings• Inconsistencies in environmental laws and Inconsistencies in environmental laws and

applicationapplication

• Weak monitoring and enforcementWeak monitoring and enforcement

• A lack of proper economic incentivesA lack of proper economic incentives

• The integration of environmental concerns The integration of environmental concerns into wider sectoral policies is incomplete.into wider sectoral policies is incomplete.

The examples of The examples of national case studies of national case studies of environmental reportingenvironmental reporting

1. China 1. China

2. Thailand2. Thailand

3. Pakistan3. Pakistan

China (Northeast Asia)China (Northeast Asia)

1.1. Assessment and reporting frameworkAssessment and reporting framework Article 11 of China’s Environmental Article 11 of China’s Environmental

Protection Law. Protection Law. Since 1991, the Ministry of Environmental Since 1991, the Ministry of Environmental

Protection (MEP) has published SoE Protection (MEP) has published SoE reports yearly.reports yearly.

SoE reports are structured on the Stress-SoE reports are structured on the Stress-Status-Response conceptual framework Status-Response conceptual framework and are available on the internet.and are available on the internet.

China (cont.)China (cont.)

2. Findings and recommendations2. Findings and recommendations China’s SoE report of 2006, released in China’s SoE report of 2006, released in

2007.2007. The overall environmental quality has The overall environmental quality has

“remained stable”.“remained stable”. The report does not contain any The report does not contain any

recommendations.recommendations.

China (cont.)China (cont.)

3. Policy responses3. Policy responses Limited use as a decision-making tools.Limited use as a decision-making tools.

4. Constraints4. Constraints Responsibilities for data collection, Responsibilities for data collection,

management, and dissemination are scattered.management, and dissemination are scattered. The level of integration of different information The level of integration of different information

sources is still weak.sources is still weak.

Thailand (Southeast Asia)Thailand (Southeast Asia)

1.1. Assessment and reporting frameworkAssessment and reporting framework It is required by environmental legislation It is required by environmental legislation

that SoE report be submitted at least that SoE report be submitted at least once a year.once a year.

SoE reports are theme-based and SoE reports are theme-based and structured on Pressure-State-Response structured on Pressure-State-Response framework.framework.

The reports are available on the internet.The reports are available on the internet.

Thailand (cont.)Thailand (cont.)

2. Findings and recommendations2. Findings and recommendations SoE report of 2006 states overall decline SoE report of 2006 states overall decline

in Thailand’s environment and makes in Thailand’s environment and makes numerous recommendations.numerous recommendations.

3. Policy responses3. Policy responses Framed by the National Environmental Framed by the National Environmental

Quality Management Plan (EQMP) for Quality Management Plan (EQMP) for 2007 – 2011.2007 – 2011.

Thailand (cont.)Thailand (cont.)

4. Constraints4. Constraints A lack of financial and technical capacity in A lack of financial and technical capacity in

data organizing, processing, and reporting.data organizing, processing, and reporting. A lack of continuity and clear goals in A lack of continuity and clear goals in

government policies.government policies.

Pakistan (South Asia)Pakistan (South Asia)

1. Assessment and reporting framework1. Assessment and reporting framework An annual national SoE report is required An annual national SoE report is required

to be prepared and published by the 1997 to be prepared and published by the 1997 Pakistan Environmental Protection Act.Pakistan Environmental Protection Act.

Only one SoE report is produced in 2005 Only one SoE report is produced in 2005 due to resource constraints.due to resource constraints.

The report is theme-based and structured The report is theme-based and structured on the Pressure-State-Impact-Response on the Pressure-State-Impact-Response (PSIR) framework.(PSIR) framework.

Pakistan (cont.)Pakistan (cont.)

2. Findings and recommendations2. Findings and recommendations SoE report of 2005 identifies key SoE report of 2005 identifies key

environmental issues of concern: water environmental issues of concern: water quality and availability; and air quality.quality and availability; and air quality.

The report makes a series of The report makes a series of recommendations focusing on the recommendations focusing on the resource, capacity, and knowledge resource, capacity, and knowledge constraints.constraints.

Pakistan (cont.)Pakistan (cont.)

3. Policy responses3. Policy responses Framed by the National Environmental Framed by the National Environmental

Policy (NEP) for 2005-2015.Policy (NEP) for 2005-2015.

4. Constraints4. Constraints Gaps in: institutional design; the regulatory Gaps in: institutional design; the regulatory

framework; and incentives and framework; and incentives and accountability.accountability.

Capacity limitations.Capacity limitations.

Thank youThank you