(1) Environmental issues have now expanded to a global scale and are not only limited to domestic problems, thus environmental diplomacy has become a reality. However, East Asia adjacent to the Sea of Japan is one region in which international environmental institutions have not yet been established. Two main reasons for the non-establishment of a joint monitoring system in East Asia can be attributed to both the confrontation between the East and West during the Cold War and contrasting economic levels and aims. As a result, the magnitude of the air pollution problem has yet to be determined.
(2) East Asian countries have faced acid precipitation in recent years because of their remarkable economic growth (annual economic growth of 5-10 % in GDP). East Asia had the highest rate of increase of air pollutants within the world. If there are no additional environmental policies implemented in East Asia, SO2 emissions may increase up to 150 % of the current level by the year 2000 and may double by 2010.
(1) Acknowledge the Problems of Air Pollution in East Asia
(2) Propose a Joint Monitoring System for Air Pollution Control in East Asia
(1) Approximately one-third of the world's 100 million SO2 emissions come from East Asia alone. Industrial areas in China and Korea emit the highest amount of SO2 than any other region; with China being one of the main sources of air pollutants in East Asia.
(2) An excessive amount of acid precipitation can be found in China, Korea and Japan.
(3) According to a study of backward trajectories, air pollutants which were emitted from China, are transported to Korea and Japan through westerly winds.
(4) The Japanese government has organized Expert Meeting on Acid Precipitation Monitoring Network from a scientific, technical and administrative point of view since 1993 including ten Asian countries (China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia,
Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand). During the Expert Meetings some senior officials and researchers have agreed to set up monitoring guidelines of acid precipitation in East Asia, and have requested to discuss the conceptual design of a monitoring network system in East Asia.
(5) Korean (CCEJ, KFEM and Green Korea) and Japanese NGOs (People's Forum 2001 and CASA) have suggested to establish the Atmosphere Action Network East Asia to encourage NGO activities to address the government and citizens concerns of the atmospheric problem including transboundary air pollution and climatic change in 1994. The first Meeting of the Atmosphere Action Network East Asia (AANEA) was held in Seoul, Korea in August of 1995 with seventeen NGOs from seven East Asian regions (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia and Taiwan) as well as NGOs from the SEACAN and SACAN.