Guidelines for Acid Deposition Monitoring in East Asia

Acid deposition is not just a domestic concern; it is also a regional environmental problem that transcends national boundaries. As emphasized in Chapter 9 of Agenda 21 (on transboundary atmospheric pollution), adopted at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, acid deposition is a problem that requires international cooperative efforts for its solution.

East Asia is receiving considerable international attention. The East Asian region contains approximately 20 percent of the Earth's landmass and more than 30 percent of the world's population. East Asia already accounts for one-third of total air pollutants released worldwide, and the region's overall rate of increase would be higher than that of other regions in the world. If current trends continue, there is great cause for concern that adverse effects from air pollution and acid deposition will develop over large areas of the region.

So far, there have been only a few reports of extensive damage due to acid deposition in the region. However, damage attributable to acid deposition, including deforestation and degradation of buildings, has been pointed out in some countries. The region is increasingly facing threats from acid deposition, and it is becoming essential to undertake measures to tackle these threats, both in the respective countries of the region and through regional cooperation.

Having the participation from ten countries in the region, (i.e. China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Russia, Singapore and Thailand), the First Expert Meeting on Acid Precipitation Monitoring Network in East Asia was held in October 1993. The Meeting recognized that a regional acid precipitation monitoring network was needed.

Based on the results of the First Expert Meeting, the guidelines have been adopted at the Second Expert Meeting on Acid Precipitation Monitoring Network in East Asia, which was held in March 1995 in Tokyo. It should be noted that these guidelines and technical manuals need to be flexibly applied, taking account of diversities in different sub-regions in East Asia.