The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half the world population- 3.6 billion out of 6 billion. Almost 40 % of the population now lives in cities. By 2025 urban areas will be home to more than half the region’s population. The region has the fastest growing economies and a burgeoning middle class. The middle to high-income earners in Asia out-number those in America and Europe combined.

A priority for the emerging middle class is the purchase of a house. Globally, around 40 % of raw materials and energy and 16 % of the annually available fresh water, is consumed by the construction sector. The sector is a major contributor to Climate Change, accounting for around 35 % of global CO2 emissions. CO2 emission of an average home has been estimated to be equivalent to that from two cars.

Economic growth, urbanization and the changing consumption patterns is straining the urban infrastructure and the environment. Pollution, waste generation and resource depletion is a major issue in the urban areas of the region.

An estimated 70 % of the global poor are in Asia. Economic deprivation increases the magnitude of pollution-related morbidity and mortality, as the poor do not have the resources or capacity to adapt. It results in further exclusion and marginalization of the poor. Pressures on urban services such as piped water, sanitation, drainage, transport, health care and education, affect the poor disproportionately. In addition, global and local concerns like Climate Change, pollution, waste generation and resource depletion, takes a greater toll of the poor and marginalized. Many architectural traditions are also getting extinct due to over-emphasis of techno-commercial aspects.

ECO-HOUSING
Eco-housing is an evolving concept that applies sustainability principles into the entire lifecycle of a housing project: from design, through construction and maintenance to the “end of life” activities. Humans have used many of its concepts for centuries to ensure comfortable conditions in their dwellings. However, traditional architectural knowledge is becoming extinct due to over-emphasis of techno-commercial aspects on current housinga and building design. There is a resurgence in the use of tradition knowledge and “green” design principles that will minimize environmental impacts. This concept applies environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches to the design, site assessment, material selection, energy management, water management and waste management to the household and community level.

NEED
The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the world’s population- 3.6 billion out of 6 billion. Almost 40% of this population now lives in cities. By 2025 urban areas will be home to more than half the region’s population. Therefore significant demand for more housing can be expected, and should be planned for. In addition, the region’s fast growing economies and burgeoning middle class could mean that there may be increasing trends of home-ownership. Already, middle to high-income earners in Asia out-number those in America and Europe combined. However, modern construction practices have long-lasting and severe ecological and social impacts on a community. For example, the construction sector consumes around 40% of raw materials and energy, and 16% of available fresh water annually. The sector is a major contributor to Climate Change, accounting for around 35 % of global CO2 emissions. The CO2 emissions of an average home are estimated to be equivalent to emissions from two vehicles.

The political leadership in Asia is aware of the alarming growth trends in their countries and realizes that alternatives to current practices should be explored. Some of them have already embraced the concept of eco-housing. However, demonstration of the viability of eco-housing through pilot projects is essential to encourage large-scale adoption into town and city planning.

It is also important to remember that global and local issues, such as those related to the consequences of climate change, pollution, waste generation, and resource depletion, takes a greater toll on the poor, the marginalized, and vulnerable groups (women and children). An estimated 70% of the global poor are in Asia. Pressures on urban services such as piped water, waste collection, sanitation, drainage, transportation, health care, and education, also affect the poor disproportionately. Eco-housing concepts can help make poor communities more self-sufficient by encouraging composting, alternative energy sources, and creating their own water supply networks.

UNEP’s INITIATIVE IN THE REGION
UNEP and UN-HABITAT initiated the Eco-housing project in 2004 to build capacity and spread awareness on this issue. A Regional Expert Group on Eco-housing was established to provide technical input and train national architects on this concept. In addition to UNEP and UN-HABITAT, the expert group consists of representatives from:

• Australia: University of New South Wales
• China: Tongji University
• India: School of Planning and Architecture; The Energy and Resources Institute
• Indonesia: The Ministry of Environment
• Sri Lanka: Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement
• Thailand: Asian Institute of Technology; Chulalongkorn University; and the Ministry of Environment

The project will be developed through Networking, Demonstration Projects, Knowledge Building, Educational initiatives, and Policy Guidance.