1 ENVIRONMENTAL DISPATCHES: REFLECTIONS ON CHALLENGES, INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE ENVIRONMENTAL IN ASIA-PACIFIC DISPATCHES: Refl ections on Challenges, Innovation and Resilience in Asia-Pacifi c Copyright © 2015, United Nations Environment Programme United Nations Avenue, Gigiri PO Box 30552, 00100 Nairobi, Kenya http://www.unep.org/ http://www.apfedshowcase.net/ Publication: Environmental Dispatches: Reflections on Challenges, Innovation and Resilience in Asia Pacific Job Number: RSO/1902/BA This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or nonprofit services without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. UNEP would appreciate receiving a copy of any publication that uses this publication as a source. No use of this publication may be made for resale or any other commercial purpose whatsoever without prior permission in writing from the United Nations Environment Programme. ENVIRONMENTAL Application for such permission, with a statement of the purpose and extent of the reproduction, should be addressed to the Director, DCPI, UNEP 2 PO Box 30552, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya. 3 ENVIRONMENTAL DISPATCHES: ENVIRONMENTAL DISPATCHES: DISPATCHES: REFLECTIONS Disclaimer REFLECTIONS ON CHALLENGES, The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the ON CHALLENGES, INNOVATION United Nations Environment Programme. INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE Refl ections on Challenges, Innovation AND RESILIENCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC IN ASIA-PACIFIC While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct and properly referenced, UNEP does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and Resilience in Asia-Pacifi c and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on the contents of this publication. Printed by Jagadamba Press www.jadambapr.com UNEP promotes environmentally sound practices globally and in its own activities. This publication is printed on 100% recycled and chlorine-free paper, using vegetable based inks, water based coatings and other eco-friendly practices. Our distribution policy aims to reduce UNEP’s carbon footprint. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD The Asia-Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) Showcase Programme Secretariat, the Asia-Pacific is a region of sharp contrasts. The region is the engine of the global economy Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/ROAP) would like to pulling millions out of poverty over the past two decades. At the same time there are signs express gratitude to the Government of Japan for the solicitous support to the programme that has provided the that the way countries are growing is undermining growth itself, and comes with large social opportunity to embark on this journey. and environmental costs. Air pollution, ecosystem degradation and waste management are 4 some of the most visible signs. Floods, drought and increasingly unpredictable weather 5 ENVIRONMENTAL We would like to also extend our appreciation to the ten UNEP-APFED Media Fellows for their contribution of linked to climate change are also having a negative impact on food security and livelihoods ENVIRONMENTAL DISPATCHES: reportage that led to the content of this book, Environmental dispatches: Reflections on Challenges, Innovation and costing the region billions every year. However, the region is also producing innovative DISPATCHES: REFLECTIONS and Resilience in Asia-Pacific. solutions to these multiple challenges. Local governments and communities have been REFLECTIONS ON CHALLENGES, ON CHALLENGES, INNOVATION helping to put Asia-Pacific on a more sustainable pathway, one community at a time. Yet, INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE We would like to extend our acknowledgement to Mr. Kaveh Zahedi, UNEP’s Regional Director and Representative these micro-actions often fly under the radar of the media and the stories of the people who AND RESILIENCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC for Asia and the Pacific, for his guidance and our thanks to UNEP/ROAP colleagues for their support in preparing lead green innovations and those who are affected by the results, largely go untold. IN ASIA-PACIFIC this publication. This publication “Environmental Dispatches: Reflections on Challenges, Innovation and We would also like to extend our appreciation to Mr. Marwaan Macan-Markar for editing and contextualizing the Resilience in Asia-Pacific” brings together some of these stories. The APFED Showcase stories as well as making them coherent and introducing interesting ways of presenting them. Programme offered the chance for journalists in the region to tell those untold stories, spreading knowledge and awareness of how Asia-Pacific communities are addressing Finally, we would like to thank Mr. Kunda Dixit and Ms. Sonia Awale of the Nepali Times in Kathmandu for the sustainable development. final production, Mr. Kiran Maharjan for design, and Ms. Ayesha Shakya for putting together the e-book version of this publication. This publication was conceived and coordinated by Mr. Manesh Lacoul and Ms. Carly Timm at UNEP/ROAP. Kaveh Zahedi Regional Director and Representative for Asia and the Pacific United Nations Environment Programme PREFACE Asia-Pacific faces major environmental issues, from marine and coastal zoning management, communities in While supporting community-based pilot projects portrayed in varying styles. These stories offer a fresh climate change and biodiversity conservation to resource the Philippines are effectively protecting their sea-based for sustainable development across Asia-Pacific, we perspective on the personal impacts of environmental resilience and water security. As the greatest consumer of livelihoods. Rural households in Pakistan are enabled identified localized success stories again and again in the challenges– insight that is not gained through general natural resources, the region is experiencing the effects to create and maintain water-purifying systems for better areas of climate change adaptation, access to and use of reporting guidelines on projects or outside of small, local of increased waste and pollution as they take a massive health. natural resources, solid waste management and energy news media. toll on resource availability, livelihoods and quality of efficiency, just to name a few. But, we also recognize life for many families. Addressing the challenges that In fact, it is these micro-actions, undertaken by the low visibility of such successes is limiting the value The individual authors’ works, which were originally 6 come with climate change appears enormous and often individuals and communities on a daily basis that of all the lessons learned and knowledge gained during published in national news outlets in the respective 7 ENVIRONMENTAL insurmountable outside of top-down global and regional cumulatively creates the bottom-up approach to regional project implementation. We believe the results of many countries of origin, can now be found in this publication, ENVIRONMENTAL DISPATCHES: DISPATCHES: REFLECTIONS actions. Yet, local governments and communities in the and global sustainable development. Community-based of the pilot projects have the potential to act as valuable accompanied by additional country-specific environmental REFLECTIONS ON CHALLENGES, region are facing these challenges head on by developing actions toward wildlife conservation, water availability resources for other communities seeking solutions to information and supported by beautiful photographs that ON CHALLENGES, INNOVATION and utilizing innovative solutions to climate change and and livelihood enhancement represent a vast array of similar environmental challenges. This publication is our help to demonstrate both environmental hardships and INNOVATION AND RESILIENCE many other environmental challenges. available development solutions to help address existing way of telling these stories and bringing them to a greater solutions. The compilation of all of the stories offers the AND RESILIENCE IN ASIA-PACIFIC IN ASIA-PACIFIC and emerging environmental challenges throughout audience. reader a unique perspective on the state of sustainable Through our support to 58 sustainable development Asia-Pacific. This recognition of the necessity of using development from the community level to the national and pilot projects across Asia-Pacific, the Asia-Pacific Forum local, inclusive innovation to address the environment We opted to do so through the creation of a UNEP-APFED regional levels. The fellowship and resulting publication for Environment and Development (APFED) Showcase has been called for from the 1992 Earth Summit to the Media Fellowship, which fostered ten competitively- aim to bring awareness to innovative solutions developed at Programme witnessed the positive impact of local 2012 Rio+20 Summit. Despite the emphasis on the selected environmental journalists from ten different the community-level, as well as, inspire young journalists innovation. In China, local communities are utilizing need for scaling-up and replicating proven successful countries in Asia-Pacific to explore the field and present to report on environmental issues in their communities. new methods of mediation via public participation in grassroots solutions, such approaches are often unable to these essential and engaging findings under APFED