The Seventeenth and Eighteenth Meetings of ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology (COST) were held in Singapore on 9 - 12 November 1987 and Chiang Mai, Thailand on 6 - 10 April 1988, respectively. The Meetings reviewed the progress of regional research and development activities in food, non-conventional energy, climatology, materials science, micro-electronics, biotechnology, and environment; considered the draft ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology 1988; discussed the preparations for the Third ASEAN Food Conference to be held in Bangkok in October 1988 and the Second ASEAN Science and Technology Week to be held in Manila in February 1989; and formulated plans for the implementation of the new initiatives from the Third Summit Meeting of ASEAN Heads of Government.


Food Related Projects

The Food Habits Project, which is nearing completion, continued its activities which involve: research on policy development and implementation of intervention programmes for the food and nutrition problems of ethnic, occupational, and vulnerable population groups; modelling of transfer mechanisms for village-level food technologies that meet the local food needs and generate the local economy; testing of intervention schemes for modifying food behaviour; exchange of information on food habits in the region; and expansion of the food composition tables in ASEAN member countries.

The proposal for the ASEAN Food Data Network Project was submitted to the U.S. for Possible funding. Additionally, Japan indicated its Willingness to provide training for ASEAN scientists and provide Japanese experts for the Project.

The Management and Utilization of Food Waste Materials Project produced several noteworthy publications, viz: Proceedings of the First ASEAN Workshop on Biochemical Engineering, Proceedings of the First ASEAN Workshop on Fish and Fish Waste Processing and Utilization, ASEAN Bibliography on Fermentation Technology, Review on Biogasification of Various Organic Residues in the ASEAN Region, Biogas Title Index (vol. 2, no. 2, 'December 1987), Membrane Technology Title Index (Vol. 2, no. 2 December 1987) and the Newsletter of ASEAN Working Group on Food Waste Materials (issue no. 7). As the project is nearing completion, plans were approved for the preparation of the final report which would include sections on: aerobic fermentation, anaerobic fermention, feed formulation and evaluation, membrane science and technology, and other relevant technologies.

During the period under review, the Food Technology Research and Development (FTRD) Project conducted research and development activities on food processing, preservation, and packaging, food analysis and evaluation, development of food standards, and evaluation of food safety. It focused its efforts on technology transfer and commercialization of develop technologies through the local fabrication of food processing equipment such as fruit dryers and juice extractors; and through technology demonstration, market testing, training and seminars.

The FTRD Food Standards Office (AFSO) produced the Data Base on Food Additives in ASEAN, Part 2 - Antifoaming Agents, Antioxidants, Artificial Sweeteners, and Part 3 - Colours, Emulsifiers, and Emulsifying Oils. It conducted studies on the standardization of mango, the comparison of ASEAN Standard and Codex Standard on canned sardines, and radio- active fall-out in dairy products.


Environment Programme

The Third ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment was held in Jakarta on 29 - 30 October 1987. The Meeting adopted the ASEAN Environment Programme (ASEP) III ( 1968 - 1992) and issued the Jakarta Resolution on Sustainable Development. ASEP III defined the objective of the ASEAN Environment Programme, which is to promote the proper management of the ASEAN environment so that it can sustain continued economic development while maintaining a high quality of life for the people of ASEAN countries. It also formulated policy guidelines, identified priority areas for cooperation, and listed sixty projects for implementation over a period of five years. The Jakarta Resolution called for the integration of the principle of sustainable development in all development efforts.

Three projects, approved for funding by UNDP, were in the early stages of implementation, namely: Anti Pollution Technologies for Urban and Rural Areas in the ASEAN Region, Technology Transfer on the Treatment of Effluents from Palm Oil and Rubber Industries, and Training Programme in Environmental Education for Science Teachers and Supervisors in the ASEAN Region.


Non-Conventional Energy

On the ASEAN - Australia Energy Cooperation, Australia agreed to extend Energy Phase I Project to June 1988. Three sub-projects were completed and a Fluidized Bed Combustor Study Design Session was held in Malaysia for ASEAN researchers. The Fourth ASEAN Conference in Energy Technology was held in Singapore in November 1987 and attracted sixty seven papers from nine countries. The proposed Energy Phase II Project is under consideration by Australia.

Phase II of the ASEAN - U.S. cooperative programme will end in the second half of 1988 with the holding of a workshop in Malaysia during which the results of the comparative studies on three water pumping technologies, namely, diesel engine, photovoltaic, and gasifier systems, were presented. For the Phase III component of the programme, the ASEAN Assessment Report on Coal Training in the U.S. was prepared and submitted to the USAID; a Training course on Energy Planning was held in Malaysia for ASEAN participants; the workplan for the research component on Energy Conservation in Buildings (ASEAN and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory) was revised; and the first issue of the WGNCER (Working Group on Non- Conventional Energy Research) Newsletter was published and sent to over 1,000 energy researchers in ASEAN and dialogue countries. Seven ASEAN energy personnel were trained at AIT in Energy Technology.

Under the ASEAN - Canada Programme, a Training Course on Biogas Reactor Design and Development was conducted with IDRC assistance and the proceedings were published. CIDA sent a Field Mission Team on Solar Drying Technologies to visit proposed ASEAN sites in March 1988 in order to prepare a project document on solar drying technology project.


Marine Science

Under Project 1 - Tides and Tidal Phenomena of the ASEAN - Australia Cooperation Programme on Marine Sciences (AACPMS), both the country training and the attachment training in Australia were conducted. The tide monitoring equipment were installed at the designated sites and were providing good data on tides amplitude.

As regards Project 2 - Living Resources in Coastal Areas with Emphasis on Mangrove and Coral Reef Systems of the ASCPMS, the following activities were undertaken: Management Committee Meeting to review and evaluate the implementation of activities, country training and M.S. degree studies in Australia; selection of project sites in ASEAN countries; and publication of a Research Methodology Manual.

The Coastal Resources Management Project under the ASEAN - U.S. Cooperative Programme on Marine Sciences (AUCPMS) continued to make progress. A U.S. Mid-term Evaluation Review Team visited ASEAN member countries to assess the progress of implementation of the project.

Under the ASEAN - Canada Cooperative Programme on Marine Sciences (ACCPMS), Phase I of the project on the Development and Management of Living Marine Resources was completed. A Project Steering Committee Meeting and a Workshop on Coastal Resources and Marine pollution were held in Phuket, Thailand, to dessiminate the results of Phase I and to formulate Phase II of the project. The proposal for Phase II of the ACCPMS was approved at the Third Meeting of the ASEAN - Canada Project Steering Committee on Marine Science and submitted to the Fifth ASEAN - Canada JCC Meeting in Ottawa.

In connection with the ASEAN - UNDP Project on the Restoration of Seagrass for Coastal Fisheries, two UNEP/FAO consultants visited ASEAN countries and met with relevant officials and experts to help formulate the project document.


Climatology

The introductory material contents of the User's Manual for the ASEAN Climatic Atlas and Compendium of Climatic Statistics were prepared. Activities were initiated for the preparation of a supplement for the Climatic Atlas and Compendium to cover Brunei Darussalam who was not yet a member of ASEAN when the project started.


Microelectronics

The ASEAN - Australia Microelectronics Programmes is aimed at enhancing ASEAN capability in Microelectronics Design. The objectives are being realised through the acquisition of IC design hardware and software, training of manpower of Australian experts, information exchange within ASEAN, and the establishment of a communications network. Design activities have led to the sub- mission of the first MPC ( Multi-project chip) for fabrication at an Australian foundry. More designs are expected to be completed in the coming months.


Materials Science

Japan dispatched missions to ASEAN Countries to formulate and sign the Records of Discussion on the implementation of the ASEAN - Japan Cooperation Programme in Materials Science. Agreement was reached on the implementation of the following projects: Prevention of Corrosion in Structures, Atmospheric Corrosion and Metallic Coatings, Characterization of Polymeric Materialist Corrosion of Reinforced, Concrete Structures, and Preparation and Characterization of Fine Ceramics.


Biotechnology

The Programme of Action of the Third Meeting of ASEAN Heads of Government in Manila in 1987 considered biotechnology as one of the highly emphasized areas of sunrise industries. The proposal on Research and Development and Application of Enzyme Technology in ASEAN was prepared and submitted to Japan for possible funding Support. Preparations for the ASEAN - EC Workshop on Nitrogen Fixation were underway and a list of ASEAN and EC participating scientists had been drawn.

Management of Science and Technology

The ASEAN - Australia three-year project on the Management of Science and Technology, which had two components, namely, Management of Research and Development, and S & T Policy Development and Programme Management, was completed. A new- project proposal was prepared for possible funding by Australia.


Journal on Science and Technology

Two issues of the Journal were published containing scientific and technical papers on materials science, computerized data bases, micro- biology, and other relevant issues.


ASEAN Science and Technology Week

Information brochures on the Second ASEAN Science and Technology Week (SASTW) were printed and distributed to all ASEAN countries. A detailed proposal was prepared by sub- mission to Dialogue Countries for possible funding support.


ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology

A new draft of the Plan was prepared by the ASEAN Secretariat and submitted to ASEAN COST. The new draft incorporated the new initiatives and directives from the Third ASEAN Summit, the objectives, policy guidelines, and strategy for cooperation, the discussion Of the various programme areas, and the propose, ASEAN Science Fund.

For more information, please refer to the project details