REGIONAL SLIDES

Asia and the Pacific Ok Tedi Mine, Papua New Guinea Weipa Bauxite, Australia Huang He Delta, China Isahaya Bay, Japan Phnom Penh, Cambodia Thon Buri, Thailand Dead Sea, Jordan Aral Sea, Kazakhstan Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan Kara-Bogaz-Gol, Turkmenistan Three Gorges Dam, China

Asia and the Pacific Lake Hamoun, Iran Mesopotamia, Iraq DMZ, Korea Oudomxay, Laos Papua, Indonesia Sundarban, India/Bangladesh Shatt al-Arab, Iraq/Iran Al Isawiyah, Saudi Arabia Wyperfeld National Park, Australia Paektu San, North Korea

Asia and the Pacific Asia is home to 60% of the world’s population, with only 36% of the world’s freshwater resources; majority of the global population without access to improved sanitation lives in this region Asia has reversed the rate of forest loss from loss of 1.3 million hectares per year in the 1990s, to a net gain of more than hectares per year between 2000 and 2005, yet the region has the lowest amount per capita (0.2 hectares) of forest in the world UNESCO 2005; FAO 2005; CGIAR 2005 Agriculture is the mainstay of Asian economies; it constitutes a high portion of land usage in warm and humid areas of Asia; majority of Asia's poor people depend directly or indirectly on agriculture for their livelihoods

Environmental Impact of Copper Mine Ok Tedi Mine, Papua New Guinea These images show environmental impact of the mine 1990: Both the mine and township of Tabubil, are clearly visible 2004: Raised river beds, forest damage and decline in biodiversity are some impacts

Lowering of landscape in Weipa bauxite mine, Australia These images show environmental impact of the mine 1973: Under current mining practices, vegetation is cleared and the topsoil is removed 2002: Image show larger extent of cleared area

The delta changed dramatically between 1979 and : Huang He’s yellow color is the result of huge load of sediments 2000: The image clearly shows the change in Delta Dramatic changes in Huang He Delta, China

From 1989 to 1995 the Yellow River delta grew in area From 1995 to 2000 the Yellow River delta shrank in area Changes in Huang He Delta, China

1993: Turning tidal lands into farmlands 2001: The straight line of sea wall is visible 2003: The area has been fully reclaimed from the sea Land reclamation changes along Isahaya Bay, Japan

These images show the extent of flooding and extensive ditches and canals used for irrigation 2000: Taken during the period of flooding 2001: Taken after the flood waters had receded Flooding in the Mekong River: Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Replacement of mangroves by aquaculture in Thon Buri, Thailand : Area is engulfed in a conflict between needs of people versus the welfare of the coastal areas 2002: Shows extensive aquaculture ponds (blue patches inland)

1973: The Sea level is dropping at the rate of 1m/year 2002: Notice the expansion of salt works, and near-complete closing off of the southern part by dry land Dramatic changes in the Dead sea, Jordan over 30 years

Death of the world’s fourth largest inland sea: Aral Sea, Kazakhstan 1973: The surface of the sea once measured km : 60% of the volume had been lost : The sea is now quarter of the size it was 50 years ago

Alarming drop in Lake Balkhash’s water level, Kazakhstan Images show alarming drop in lake’s water levels : Excessive use and waste of lake water are causes of the drop 2001: Smaller neighbouring lakes appear to be drying up

Changes in Kara-Bogaz-Gol – a lagoon of the Caspian sea, Turkmenistan Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world 1988: KBG is the large shallow lagoon of the Caspian sea 2000: Caspian Sea levels are higher than 1978 levels and water flows freely into salty waters of KBG

Changes due to construction of Three Gorges Dam, China 1987: Nature of the river and surrounding landscape before the dam 2004: The enormous dam is clearly visible

Changes in water levels on Lake Hamoun, Iran 1976: The amount of water in the lake is relatively high : The lake dried up and disappeared

Demise of an Ecosystem – Mesopotamia Marshlands, Iraq Upstream damming as well as drainage activities in the marshlands themselves have significantly reduced the quantity of water entering the marshes : Most of the wetlands disappeared

Revival of Mesopotamia Marshlands, Iraq 2000: Water returns to the Mesopotamian Marshlands 2004: Greening of some of the Marshlands in recent years

Forest burning in Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Korea Images reveal significant burn scars in the DMZ

Deforestation in Ouxomxay, Laos 1975: Image shows continuous forest cover 2000: Forest cover dotted with cleared patches

Changes in world’s second largest palm oil producing area: Papua, Indonesia 1990: a new human presence, earth colored roads provide access to the forest 2000: rectilinear patterns cover 10,000 ha 2002: Cleared area nearly doubles since 2000

Forest degradation has been occurring in many parts of Sundarbans Shrimp farming is a major threat to mangrove forests Sundarban: Changes in largest mangrove forest of the world, India/Bangladesh

Changes in the largest date palm forest in the world: Shatt al-Arab, Iraq/Iran : Shows destruction of the largest date palm forest in the world, bordering Iraq and Iran By 2002, more than 80 per cent of palms were wiped out due to war, salt and pests

Greening of a desert – Al’ Isawiyah Saudi Arabia Greening of a desert A desert landscape Irrigation begins… And transforms the desert 2004 –Irrigation intensity increases

Changes in the native scrubland: Wyperfeld National Park, Australia 1973: Vegetation in the Wyperfeld National Park is mostly rich green in the image 2000: The dark green areas are now mottled with light patches, areas where the ground is bare after a burn 2004: Significant additional burned areas

Agriculture expansion around Paektu San North Korea 1977: Shows result of intensive land development on the North Korean side of the border 1999: Shows expanding agricultural activities on and around Paektu San, especially after the construction of the dam

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