中广网北京4月21日消息（记者伍刚）世界银行两份最新环境报告指出，污染和环境恶化日益威胁到东亚与太平洋地区迅速城镇化的人口的健康。

　　世界银行最新发布的针对东亚和太平洋地区的《环境战略》报告说，由水传播的疾病目前造成该地区每年50万婴儿夭折，而空气污染导致千万人早逝。在中国，每年有5万人由于烧煤造成的污染而早逝。

　　这些趋势日益引起关注，特别是随着越来越多的人涌入该地区业已十分拥挤的城市。汇总环境统计数据的世界银行年度《2005年绿色统计数据手册》指出，目前该地区18亿人口中已有39％以上生活在城市。而据《环境战略》估计，到2015年，该地区将会有50％以上的人口生活在城市。

　　这种发展趋势对该地区构成了巨大的环境挑战，原因是许多国家人口流入城市的速度超过了城市提供清洁供水和卫生基础设施的能力。根据《2005年绿色统计数据手册》，例如，该地区有四分之一的人口不能得到清洁的饮水，一半以上的人口缺乏基本的卫生设施。

　　世界银行主管东亚和太平洋地区的副行长孔杰忠说：东亚经济的增长速度超过了其他任何地区，但是在人民生活水平方面的改善正在被严重的环境问题所抵消。

　　对环境的破坏也在降低许多生态服务和自然保护的作用。例如，去年在印度洋发生的地震和海啸悲剧凸显出保护环境的重要性，因为对具有保护作用的海岸红树林和珊瑚礁的破坏在一定程度上扩大了灾难的规模。

　　世界银行在东亚和太平洋地区积极从事各方面的环保活动，在该地区开展了总额为53亿美元环境和自然资源管理项目，全球环境基金也为这些项目追加了5亿美元的环保赠款。例如，1995－2003年期间，世行帮助各国政府淘汰了89000公吨的臭氧层消耗物质，超过世界上其他任何地区。世行也很重视为城市贫民提供环境卫生服务，并积极着手解决该地区对生物多样性的威胁。

　　世行东亚和太平洋地区环境和社会发展局局长玛利亚·特雷萨·塞拉说：该地区许多国家所采取的先增长，后治理的经济发展模式听起来似乎有理，但是人们没有意识到推迟保护环境的代价从长远看要大得多。

　　世界银行的方式

　　新的地区《环境战略》要求世行积极主动地支持环境政策，寻求在地方和区域层面与发展伙伴的有效合作。东亚和太平洋地区的环境经理玛格达·洛维说：世行在努力加强在该地区的环境政策和能力，我们希望鼓励各级各个机构之间开展合作，共同解决本国和跨国的环境问题。

　　管理海岸资源，包括海啸后的恢复措施，是世行的主要重点。好几个国家已经在开展旨在保护海岸和珊瑚礁的社区项目和努力。在开发灾难防范措施和预警机制方面开展区域性合作尤为重要，比如最近提出的海啸预警系统。附英文背景Concernaboutthe environment grows in East Asia as impacts of pollutionandurbanization increaseWashington, DC, April 19, 2005 - Pollutionandenvironmental degradation increasingly threaten the health ofEastAsia and Pacifics rapidly urbanizing population, according totwonew environment reports from the World Bank.Water-bornediseases nowcause half a million infant deaths annually in theregion, while airpollution causes thousands of premature deaths -50,000 people dieprematurely each year in China due to pollutionjust from coalburning, according to the World Banks newEnvironment Strategy forthe East Asia and Pacific region.Thesetrends are a growing concernas more people move to the regionsalready crowded cities. Morethan 39 percent of the regions 1.8billion people now live incities, according to the World Banksannual compendium ofenvironmental data, the Little Green Data Book2005. And by 2015urban areas will be home to more than 50 percentof the regionspopulation, estimates the Environment Strategy.Thisgrowth presentshuge environmental challenges for the region, asmigration to urbanareas in many countries is outpacing the abilityof cities toprovide clean-water and sanitation infrastructure. Forexample, aquarter of the regions population doesnt have accessto cleandrinking water and over half lack access to basicsanitation,according to the Little Green Data Book 2005.EastAsias economy isgrowing more quickly than any other region, butimprovements inhuman welfare are being offset by seriousenvironmental issues,said Jemal-ud-din Kassum, the World BankVice President for EastAsia and the Pacific.Environmental damageis also degrading manyecological services and natural protections.For example, the tragicearthquake and tsunami in the Indian Oceanlast year highlights theimportance of protecting the environment,as degradation ofprotective coastal mangrove forests and coralreefs contributed inpart to the magnitude of the disaster.TheWorld Bank is activelyengaged in a wide range of environmentalinitiatives in East Asiaand Pacific, and has developed a $5.3billion portfolio ofenvironmental and natural resource managementprojects in theregion, which is complemented by its GlobalEnvironment Facitilityfunding of $500 million in environmentgrants. Between 1995 and2003, for example, the Bank helpedgovernments phase out 89,000 tonsof ozone-depleting substances -more than any other region in theworld. The Bank has also focusedon providing sanitation servicesfor the urban poor, and addressingthreats to the regionsbiodiversity.The grow now, clean up latermodel for economicdevelopment that much of the region has adoptedsounds reasonable,but people dont realize that the costs ofdelaying environmentalprotection are much greater in the longrun, said Maria TeresaSerra, Director of the Banks Environmentand Social DevelopmentSector in the East Asia and Pacificregion.The World BankApproachThe new regional Environment Strategycalls for the Bank toproactively support environment policies andto seek effectiveengagement with development partners, bothlocally and at theregional level. The Bank is looking tostrengthen environmentpolicies and capacities in the region, andwe want to encouragecollaboration between agencies at all levelsto address local andtransboundary environmental issues, saidMagda Lovei, EnvironmentManager for the East Asia and Pacificregion.Managing coastalresources, including tsunami recoveryinitiatives, is a highpriority for the Bank, and community-basedprojects and efforts toprotect coasts and coral reefs are alreadyunderway severalcountries. Regional collaboration will beespecially important inthe development of disaster-preventionefforts and early warningmechanisms, such as the recently proposedtsunami alert system.For acopy of the East Asia and PacificEnvironment Strategy, pleasevisit: