Environmental Crisis and Environmental Policies in Asian Countries

After the 1972 UN conference on "The Human Environment" an increasing number of countries in the developing world initiated environmental policies. This process, however, gainedmomentum only slowly, as the viewwas still widely prevailing (and particularly supported by India and Brazil) that environmental protection was a privilegeof the industrial countries which developing countries cannot afford. The 1972 conference also brought about a changein the concept of human environment which adapted to the actual conditions and priorities in developing countries by widening the definition and encompas8ing deforestation, desertification, inadequate water supply, lack of sanitation, poor housing facilities, etc. It was also made clear that in addition to "industrialization-induced" environmental pollution, developing countries suffer particularly from "poverty-induced" environmental hazards.