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South
Asia comprises the countries of Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,
and Sri Lanka. The region has been the cradle
of several great civilizations and is today home
to about 1.5 trillion people, more than one-fifth
of the world's population. The region covers an
area of approximately 42,916,000 km2, same as that
of the continental United States but with four
times the population, it is already one of the
most densely settled regions of the world.
South
Asia is bordered in the south by the Indian Ocean,
in the South-east by Bay of Bengal and in the
South-west by the Arabian Sea. Occupying a major
portion of the Indo-Malayan realm and a smaller
portion of the Palaearctic realm, this region
is representative of five of the fourteen major
ecological regions called biomes,
which demonstrate the biodiversity and vegetation
patterns of the region as determined by climate,
water, geology, soil and diverse topography.
South Asia's
topography consists of an amazing variety of mountains,
plateaus, dry regions, intervening structural basins,
beaches, etc. It varies from world highest point,
the Mount Everest to the world lowest, the sea
beach.
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A
monsoon climate, characterised by wet summers and dry winters,
generally prevails over South Asia. The south-west monsoons
(late May to October) bring the maximum rainfall, followed
by the north-east monsoons. Precipitation and climate
vary significantly from place to place in different countries
within the region due to the variations in land forms.
Rainfall ranges from 200 mm in the desert areas of the
north-west to 4000 mm in the higher Himalayas of Bhutan.
The climate also varies from the semi-arid in Pakistan
to the tropical monsoon and hot-dry, humid-dry in the
rest of the region. The region's
temperature varies ranging from as law as -20 °C
in the cold desert to a scorching 48 °C desert areas
in some plains.
Some
of the world's largest river systems are in
the South Asia. The Indus river originates in China and
flows to Pakistan. The Ganga-Brahmaputtra river systems
originate partly in China, Nepal and Bhutan, and flow to
India and Bangladesh. The Indus river is one of the world's
greatest, measuring 2,800 km from its source to sea. The
Ganga stretches to about 2,525 km, and the brahmaputtra,
the third great Himalayan river, stretches about 2, 900
km flowing through Tibet, India and Bangladesh. There are
many other minor rivers originate from great Himalayan
drain into Bangladesh through Nepal and India. There are
103 rivers draining in a radial pattern from central highland
of Sri Lanka. The Ganga, Brahmaputtra and Meghna are the
major rivers in Bangladesh. The rivers in Bhutan are the
Jadalkha, Torsa, Raidak, Sankosh, Mao Khola/Aie, and the
Manas. Maldives does not have any rivers.
The
diversity in the latitude, altitude, climate and topography
has resulted in a variety of vegetation in the region,
ranging from the temperate and the tropical to the desert
vegetation. About 18.6 percent of the total land area
of the region still under the forest cover and it account
for 2.73 percent of the total forest area in the world.
About 5 percent of the region's land area is being
under protection.
South Asia houses approximately
15.5 and 12 percent of the world's flora and fauna respectively.
The faunal diversity of the region comprises of 933 species
of mammals, 4,494 birds, 923 reptiles, 332 amphibians and 342 freshwater fishes.
The floral diversity accounts for 39,875 species of flowering plants, 66 conifers
and cycads, 764 ferns and 6,652 higher plants.
Population and Development Trend
|
South
Asia |
World |
| Human
Development Trend |
Life expectance at birth (years) 2005
|
63.8 |
68.1 |
Adult literacy rate ( % age 15 and above,
2005)
|
59.5 |
78.6 |
GDP per capita (PPP US$
2005)
|
3,416 |
9,543 |
Human development index ( HDI)
value 2005
|
0.611 |
0.743 |
Demographic Trends |
Total population (millions)
2005
|
1,587.4T |
6,514.8T |
Annual population growth rate
2005 - 15
|
1.5 |
1.1 |
Urban population (% of total)
2005
|
30.2 |
48.6 |
Population under age 15 (% of total)
2005
|
33.6 |
28.3 |
Population age 65 and above (% of total) 2005
|
4.7 |
7.3 |
Total fertility rate (births per women)
2000 - 05
|
3.2 |
2.6 |
| Water Sanitation and Nutritional Status |
|
Population using improved sanitation (%) 1990 |
18 |
49 |
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Population using improved sanitation (%)
2004 |
37 |
59 |
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Population under nourished ( % of total population) 1990/92 |
25 |
20 |
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Population under nourished (% of total population) 2000/2004 |
21 |
17 |
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Population using an improved
water source (%) 1990 |
72 |
78 |
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Population using an improved
water source (%) 2004 |
85 |
83 |
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Energy and the Environment |
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Electricity consumption per capita (kilowatt-hours, 2004) |
628 |
2,701 |
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Electricity consumption per capita (% change) 1990 - 2004 |
- |
- |
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Electrification rate (%) 2000 - 2005 |
- |
76 |
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Population without electricity (millions) 2005 |
- |
1,577.0 |
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Forest area (% of total land area) 2005 |
14.2 |
30.3 |
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Total forest area (thousand sq km) 2005 |
911.8 |
39,520.3 |
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Forest area - total change (thousand sq km) 1990 - 2005 |
12.5 |
-1,252.7 |
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Forest area - average annual change (%) 1990 - 2005 |
0.1 |
-0.2 |
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Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Stocks |
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Total carbon dioxide emissions (Mt CO2) 1990 |
990.7T |
22,702.5T |
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Total carbon dioxide emissions (Mt CO2) 2004 |
1,954.6T |
28,982.7T |
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Annual change of carbon dioxide emissions (%) 1990 - 2004 |
7.0 |
2.0 |
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Carbon dioxide emissions - share of world total (%) 1990 |
4.4 |
100.0 |
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Carbon dioxide emissions - share of world total (%) 2004 |
6.7 |
100.0 |
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Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (t CO2) 1990 |
0.8 |
4.3 |
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Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (t CO2) 2004 |
1.3 |
4.5 |
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Carbon dioxide emissions from forest biomass (Mt CO2/year)
1990 - 2005 |
-49.3 |
4,038.1 |
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Carbon stocks in forest biomass (Mt carbon) |
3,843.5 |
282,650.1 |
Source:
UNDP Human Development Report,
2007/2008
Frame Work Laws on Environmental Protection
in the Region
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Framework law |
Vision Document |
Policy Institution |
Executing Agency |
Apex National
Council |
Afghanistan
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Ministry of Planning |
Various Departments |
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Bangladesh |
Environment Conservation
Act, 1995 |
National Conservation
Strategy |
Ministry of Environment & Forests |
Department of Environment |
National Environment
Committee |
Bhutan |
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National Environment
Strategy for Bhutan - "The middle path" 1998 |
National Environment
Commission |
National Environment
Commission Secretariat |
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India |
Environment Protection
Act, 1986 |
National Conservation
Strategy and National Policy on Pollution Abatement,
1992
Environmental Action Plan, 1993 |
Ministry of Environment & Forests |
Central Pollution Control
Board and State Departments |
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Maldives |
Environment Protection
Preservation Act, 1993 |
National Environment
Action Plan 1999-2005 |
Ministry of Planning,
Human Resources and Environment |
Environment Division
/MPHRE |
National Commission for
the Protection of Environment (NCPEC) |
Nepal |
Environment Protection
Act, 1997 |
National Environment
Policy & Action Plan 1993 |
Ministry of Population & Environment |
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Environment Protection
Council |
Pakistan |
Environmental Protection
Act, 1996 |
National Conservation
Strategy,1992 |
Ministry of Environment,
Local Government and Rural Development |
Environmental Protection
Council together with Federal/Provincial Environmental
Protection Agencies |
Environment Protection
Council |
Sri Lanka |
National Environment
Act, 1980 (amended in 1988 & 2000) |
National Environment
Action Plan; 1998-2001 |
Ministry of Environment
and Natural Resources |
Central Environment Authority |
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International Commitment for Environmental Protection:
Status of participation in major environmental
conventions and other agreements
UN Conventions
Convention |
Country
Status |
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Afghanistan |
B'desh |
Bhutan |
India |
Maldives |
Nepal |
Pakistan |
Sri
Lanka |
Convention
Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural
and Natural Heritage |
20/03/79
(2) |
03/08/83
(3) |
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06/07/89
(3) |
15/04/77
(3) |
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23/07/76
(2) |
04/05/82
(3) |
Convention
on International Trade in Endangered Species
(CITES) |
30/10/85
(3)
28/01/86 (6) |
20/11/81
(2)
18/02/82 (6) |
15/08/2002
(2)
13/11/2002 (6) |
20/07/76
(2)
18/10/76 (6) |
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18/06/75
(3)
16/09/75 (6) |
20/04/76
(3)
19/07/76 (6) |
04/05/79
(3)
07/08/79 (6) |
Convention
on the Law of the Sea |
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10/12/82
(1) |
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10/12/82
(1)
26/06/96 (2) |
10/12/82
(1) |
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10/12/82
(1)
26/02/97 (2) |
10/12/82
(1)
19/07/94 (2)
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Convention
on Biological Diversity (CBD)
Biosafety Protocol (103) |
12/06/92
(1) |
05/06/92
(1)
03/05/94 (2) |
11/06/92
(1)
25/08/95 (2) |
05/06/92
(1)
18/02/94 (2)
23/01/01
(1) |
12/06/92
(1)
9/11/92 (2) |
12/06/92
(1)
23/11/93 (2)
02/03/01
(1) |
25/06/92
(1)
26/07/94 (2)
04/06/01
(1) |
10/06/92
(1)
23/03/94 (2)
24/05/01
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Convention
on Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
Agreements |
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01/11/83
(6)
MoU on Siberian
Crane |
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01/12/87
(6)
MoU on Siberian
Crane |
01/09/90
(6)
MoU on Marine
Turtles |
The
Ramsar Convention on Wetlands |
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21/09/92
(6) |
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01/02/82
(6) |
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17/04/88
(6) |
23/11/76
(6) |
15/10/90
(6)
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Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD)
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01/11/95
(3) |
14/10/94
(1)
26/10/96 (2)
26/12/96 (6) |
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14/10/94
(1)
17/12/96 (2)
17/03/97 (6)
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12/10/95
(1)
15/10/96 (2)
13/01/97 (6) |
15/10/94
(1)
24/02/97 (2)
25/05/97 (6) |
09/12/98 (2)
09/03/99 (6) |
Basal Convention
Ban Amendment (24)
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01/04/93
(3) |
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24/06/92
(2) |
28/04/92
(3) |
15/10/96
(3) |
26/07/94
(3) |
28/08/92
(3)
29/01/99 (2) |
Framework Convention
for Climate Change (UNFCCC)
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15/04/94 |
25/08/95 |
01/11/93
(2) |
09/11/92
(2) |
02/05/94 |
01/06/94 |
23/11/93
(2) |
Kyoto Protocol (84)
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16/03/98
(1)
30/12/98 (3) |
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Status of Ratification on the Protection of the Statospheric
Ozone layer
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| Vienna
Convention |
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02/08/90 (3) |
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19/03/91 (3) |
12/07/88 (1) |
06/07/94 (3) |
18/12/92 (3) |
15/02/89 (3) |
| Montreal
Protocol |
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02/08/90 (3) |
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19/06/92 (3) |
16/05/89 (2) |
06/07/94
(3) |
18/12/92 (3) |
15/02/89 (3) |
| London
Amendment |
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08/03/94 (2) |
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19/06/92 (3) |
31/07/91 (2) |
06/07/94 (3) |
18/12/92 (3) |
16/06/93 (3) |
| Copenhagen
Amendment |
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27/11/00 (At) |
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17/02/95 (2) |
07/07/97 (3) |
| Montreal
Amendment |
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27/07/01 (At) |
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02/08/99 (3) |
The
Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent
(PIC) Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals
and Pesticides in International Trade |
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09/09/99
(1) |
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(1)
= Date of Signature
(2) = Date of Ratification
(3) =
Date of Accession
(4)
= Date of Acceptance
(5) = Date of Approval
(6) = Date
of Entry in to Force
Other
UN Agreements
Regional Seas
Programme
The Regional
Seas Programme was
established by UNEP in 1974 as a global programme, implemented
through regional components, for the control
of marine pollution and the management of marine and coastal
resources.
The programme currently includes 14 functional regions
with the participation of over 140 coastal states and territories.
In addition there are 3 partner programmes, which is not
included in UNEP's Regional Seas framework.
UNEP works with the concerned governments in the preparation
of a Regional Action Plan and each plan is formulated according
to the needs of the region as perceived by the states.
The Plan outlines activities related to Environmental Assessment,
Management, Legislation, Institutional and Financial arrangements.
The
South Asian Seas Action Plan, which was adopted in 1995
by the five maritime nations of the South Asian region,
is part of this and activities undertaken under the Action
Plan is given in project and programmes .
Global Programme
of Action for the Protection of Marine Environment
from Land-based Activities
In November 1995, at an Intergovernmental Meeting held
in Washington DC , 108 Governments declared their commitment
to protect and preserve the marine environment from the
harmful effects of land-based activities. The GPA's main
purpose is to identify the sources of land-based pollution
or harmful activities and to prepare regional, sub-regional
and national priority action programmes on measures to
reduce and alleviate them. This is in accordance with Part
XI of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
of 1982, which came into force in November 1994.
In the Washington Declaration, the governments declared
their intention to co-operate on a regional basis to coordinate
GPA implementation efforts. UNEPs Regional Seas Programme
has been identified as an appropriate framework for facilitating
implementation of the GPA, especially with regard to developing
countries and Small Island Developing States. In this context,
seven technical workshops of government-designated experts
were convened by UNEP, during the period 1996-1998, to
identify regional priorities and to develop regional programmes
of action.
International Maritime Conventions
Regional
Agreements
Malé Declaration
on Control and Prevention of Air Pollution and Its Likely
Transboundary Effects for South Asia
The Colombo
Declaration on the South Asia Co-operative Environment
Programme (SACEP)
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