Asia-Pacific countries must respond to climate change: UNDP

"The Asia-Pacific region must continue to grow economically to lift millions out of poverty, but it must also respond to climate change to survive. Growing first and cleaning up later is no longer an option," says the Asia-Pacific Human Development Report 2012--One Planet to Share: Sustaining Human Progress in a changing Climate.

The publication is aimed at reinvigorating climate change dialogue by bringing people's concerns into the fore in the lead-up to the Rio+20 conference.

The report argues that in the face of climate change, countries in Asia and the Pacific "will need to change way they manufacture goods, raise crops and livestock and generate energy".

This will mean "moving to greener, more resilient, lower-emission options that not only sustain the environment but also offer opportunities to the poor for employment and income," it said.

Observing that the Asia-Pacific region has some of the world's fastest-growing cities, the report said cities in the region are central to the world's battle against climate change.

"Asia and Pacific are home to some of the world's largest urban areas. Of the world's top 20 mega cities--those with populations with 10 million or more--half are located in Asia," the report said. (more)