Schedule
09:00-15:00, 12 December 2006
Inna Garuda, Sambisari

Organizer
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

Background and Objectives
Air pollution has been one of the many pressing environmental problems faced by local governments in many cities around the Asia Pacific Region. Due to its alarming impacts on human health and environment, many local governments have been pursuing different control mechanisms such as policies, regulatory measures, emission reduction technologies and economic measures in order to control the impact of air pollution from its source. The result of these initiatives has brought forth positive outcomes on the environment on local and global scales, and in some cases also delivered several socio-economic benefits to local communities, stakeholders and different sectors involved in air quality management (AQM). Such co-benefits in broader socio-economic context may include generating income for the poor, creating additional employment, promotion of local enterprises, broadening business opportunities, enhancing stakeholder participation and partnership and improvement of urban governance. Normally, socio-economic development challenges have attracted greater attention in local development agenda, and, therefore, addressing environmental (local and global) co-benefit as well as the multiple socio-economic benefit would enhance the prospect of AQM initiatives to be given higher priority in urban political settings and resource allocation, in addition to increasing financial sustainability of the projects themselves from economic feedback.

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has been implementing the Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment, adopted at the Fourth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific (MCED 2000) held in Kitakyushu, Japan in September 2000, and continues to seek for the enhancement of the capacity of local governments in integrating win-win approach to urban environmental management and socio-economic development. This workshop, organized in the framework of the Kitakyushu Initiative for a Clean Environment seeks for interaction with wider communities of CAI Asia and promotes exchange of information and experiences of Asian Cities concerning multiple benefits experienced in the different AQM initiatives adopted by local governments around the region.

Objectives

• Present case studies related to environmental and socio-economic co-benefits experienced with air quality management initiatives of local governments in the region
• To discuss strategies in enhancing opportunities of multiple benefits of local air quality management initiatives, together with the requirements for national policy support.
• Develop possible demonstration projects in the region.

Participants
Approximately 30 Participants from the local government, private sector, NGOs and Practitioners who have experiences in, or are planning, local AQM projects.

Contact person
Masakazu Ichimura (Mr)
Chief, Environment Section
Environment and Sustainable Development Division
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
UN Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, 10200 Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66 2 288 1455
Fax: +66 2 288 1025
Email: ichimura@un.org