Asia urged to take more eco-friendly measures

"As Asian economies develop, promoting more eco-efficient consumption pattern is now looming as a new challenge," the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Unescap) said in a report.

"Meeting human development needs based on current 'grow first, clean up later' economic growth patterns is likely to result in growing ecological deficits," it said, adding the region's environment was at boiling point.

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Led by China and India, the economy in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow by 6.9 percent in 2007, a slight decline from 7.1 percent seen in 2006, the Unescap said earlier in a separate report.

But Friday's report called on the region to shift its economic policy toward "green growth" patterns that encourage resource-efficient production and better pollution controls.

"It is encouraging that the government of China announced six measures for green growth last May. Eco-efficiency should now be adopted as a new criterion for economic development planning for many developing countries in the region."

While calling for more eco-friendly measures, the UN said the region's economic growth remained vital to ease global poverty.

The report said nearly 670 million people in the region are living on less than one dollar per day and 665 million have no access to improved drinking water.