Taiwan, US mount air pollution control initiative for SE Asia

台美空污防治向東南亞區域合作

SSEA-AIR meeting being held in Taipei to assist SE Asia to combat pollution TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The annual meeting for “South and Southeast Asia – Air Improvements in the Region (SSEA-AIR)” is being held at Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport between July 29 and Aug. 2. Jointly organized by the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) of Taiwan and the Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S. (USEPA), the event sees the participation of more than 30 officials and experts, who will share their experience in air pollution control. The dignitaries hail from South Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Mongolia, as well as the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Asian Environmental Compliance and Enforcement Network (AECEN). In his address, Acting Director Raymond Greene of the American Institute in Taiwan noted that one of the milestones of the U.S.-Taiwan relationship was the launch of the International Environmental Partnership (IEP) in 2014. The platform allows Taiwan and the U.S. to engage with countries on environmental cooperation, such as developing methods of dealing with air and mercury pollution and electronic waste, among other challenges. The meeting will focus on issues of interest to Southeast Asian countries, including finances, mobile source pollution control, pollution prevention infrastructure, data analysis, and environmental monitoring. On-site tours will also be arranged to show visitors what the island has achieved in pollution management, said the EPA. The occasion serves to pave the way for further cooperation between Taiwan countries targeted by its New Southbound Policy and lay the foundation for the implementation of the SE Asian Quality Management Platform, the EPA added.
Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer
2019-07-31