Environment

(1) The East Asian region, comprising almost one third of the world's population, has witnessed continued economic growth and the demand for energy in the region has increased accordingly. In many East Asian countries the emissions of major pollutants such as sulfur and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere are increasing due to the consumption of fossil fuels for industrial activities and transport. It is anticipated that the adverse impacts of acid deposition in East Asia will pose a serious problem in the near future if effective countermeasures are not taken.

(2) The Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET) was established in January 2001 as an important initiative for regional cooperation, aiming to create a common understanding on the state of acid deposition problems, to provide useful insight to policy makers at various levels and to contribute to cooperation on issues related to acid deposition among East Asian countries. Currently, 13 countries in East Asia are participating in EANET.

Considering the increasing air pollution and its real or possible adverse effects in East Asia, it is important to build a functional environmental management capacity in the region against local and regional air pollution. Under the present situation, EANET is becoming one of the most important platforms for the East Asian community to address the issues of regional air pollution. Japan, therefore, supports further development of EANET as an effective tool for regional air quality management in East Asia.