Cooperation in the field of science and technology was implemented on the basis of the ASEAN Plan of Action on Science and Technology for Development.
The progress of the projects actively pursued during the period under review is summarized below:
ASEAN Protein Project
The Protein project reached completion in December 1984 after ten years of implementation by the Sub-Committee on Protein.
A joint review team visited project sites and contacted research personnel for the necessary review reports of the project.
An end of the term project report, "ASEAN Protein Project 1 974 - 1 984" was published, and a list of ASEAN member countries' microbiological culture collections resulting from the ASEAN Protein Project is being compiled for publication.
ASEAN Food Habits Project
To continue the achievements of the Protein project, the Food Habits Project was approved for implementation and Australia confirmed its commitment of A$ 2.0 million to fund the Project.
The following material output are expected from this project;
- Food composition table for use in the ASEAN region;
- Monograph on ASEAN experiences with intervention programmes;
- Handbook on traditional food processing technologies;
- Annotated bibliography on food habits research; and
- Improved knowledge and understanding of the nature of food habits and their causes and consequences.
Projects on the Management and Utilization of
Food Waste Materials
The project is now in its third year of a five year first extension phase. Several technologies developed under this project have reached the stage of commercial/industrial application to benefit the public and potential end-users.
The Working Group on Food Waste Materials is now in the final stage of preparing the following for publication:
The latest and 4th issue of an on-going publication, the "ASEAN Newsletter on Food Waste Materials" was printed in April 1 985.
ASEAN Food Technology Research Development
The ASEAN Food Technology Research and Development Project officially approved in July 1982 completed its first phase of activities at the end of financial year 1984/85.
A project extension request was forwarded to Australia and a joint ASEAN - Australia project appraisal was undertaken in March 1985 to enable Australia to make the appropriate response.
Important regional accomplishments of the Project include the acceleration of the development of food processing technologies and the initiation of a regional effort for the evaluation of the quality and safety of ASEAN Foods.
Climatology Project
The "ASEAN Climatic Atlas" and the accompanying volume "Compendium of Climatic Statistics" have been distributed to all ASEAN Meteorological Services and are available to interested parties. The Sub-Committee on Climatology began undertaking the preparation of a manual on the use of the ASEAN Climatic Atlas and Compendium.
A seminar on ASEAN Weather Modification Programme was successfully held in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 9 - 16 December 1984.
Cooperation on Non-Conventional Energy Research
Development in ASEAN's cooperative research on non-conventional energy with Australia, Canada and the U.S. were as follows:
i) The first phase of cooperation with Australia commenced in August 1984, with the training of ASEAN scientists and technologists in the field of energy conservation, which will be followed by training in coal technology and biomass for heat and power;
ii) The second phase of cooperation with the United States ended successfully, and the Memorandum of Understanding for the third phase covering training and research in coal technology, energy management and energy conservation in buildings, is being finalized; and
iii) Energy seminars have been scheduled to be held under the auspices of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). The Memorandum of Understanding for the seminar has been formulated and is under consideration by ASEAN member countries.
Project on the Environment
Among the highlights of the agreement reached at the Second ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment in November 1984 were the Declaration on ASEAN Heritage Parks and Reserves, the Bangkok Declaration on the Environment which is an endorsement of the ASEAN Environmental Programme II (ASEP II), and the initialling by the Ministers of the ASEAN Agreement on Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Recognising that environmental problems are all - encompassing and transcend national boundaries the Ministers also decided to endorse Resolutions on policy guidelines on actions needed to solve environmental problems in the ASEAN region.
Progress was achieved in the activities under the purview of the Experts Group on Environment. These include activities in the areas of Environmental Management including Environmental Impact Assessment, Industry and Environment, Nature Conservation, Marine Environment, Environmental Education and Training and in Environmental Information.
Programmes in Marine Sciences
ASEAN's active cooperative programmes in marine sciences with Australia, Canada and the United States saw the following development;
i) Progress in the cooperative programme with Australia involving two projects on Tides and Tidal Phenomena and Living Resources in Coastal Areas with Emphasis on Mangrove and Coral Reef Ecosystems;
ii) The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on ASEAN - Canada Cooperative Programme in Marine Science signed on 21 December 1984 to support studies on Marine Resource Management and Development and Pollution Monitoring Studies; and
iii) The formulation of the project documents of the ASEAN - US Marine Science Programme during the ASEAN - US Programme Development Workshop in May 1985.
Management of Science and Technology
This project was successfully launched in March 1985 with a High Level Symposium on S & T Policy Development and training programmes on R & D Management, taking place in Canberra, Australia.
For more information, please refer to project details
