THE RAPID INDUSTRIALIZATION OF ASEAN Member Countries has exacted a high price in terms of environmental degradation, waste accumulation, the concentration of populations in cities and whole countries, once resource-rich, becoming resource-deficient.

This can be concluded from the data presented by the First ASEAN State of the Environment Report (SoER) compiled and released recently in response to the call of the ASEAN Leaders during the Bangkok Summit of 1995 "for the advancement of economic prosperity and social well-being of the peoples in the region in a sustainable manner for the benefit of future generations and in the interest of ensuring a balanced ecosystem."

The First ASEAN SoER was therefore compiled to provide focus and impetus to ASEAN's present collective efforts towards sustainable development. By presenting a regional perspective on issues that are generally perceived on a national plane, the Report is able to identify opportunities for common approaches to the problem of environmental management.

While presenting the challenges of environmental degradation in ASEAN Member Countries, the ASEAN SoER also serves as a record of the achievements of ASEAN nations in protecting the environment. It is a record that could be shared with other developing countries, especially those that look to ASEAN as an exemplar of development.

The SoER extensively discusses the nature and intensity of the major environmental concerns and pressures as they affect land, water, air, people, agriculture, industry, energy and transport, international trade and tourism. It also presents the initiatives of ASEAN countries, including legislation and the activities of institutions toward sustainable development. It endeavours to appraise perceptions on the state of the environment in ASEAN and to gauge the intensity and effectiveness of national and regional efforts. The conclusions derived from the SOER could augment, modify or even redirect the strategic thrusts of ASEAN cooperation on the environment.