Strong economic growth in Asia has lifted millions of people out of poor economic conditions. But some environmental activists say it has also hurt the area's environment. The International Union for Conservation of Nature(国际自然保护联合会) met in Bangkok, Thailand recently for three days. The group urged Asian countries to work together to protect the environment. It warned that, if they fail to do so, many plants and animals will become extinct.
Asia produces about 40 percent of global economic activity and two thirds of global growth. About 60 percent of the world's population lives in Asia. Experts predict 3.3 billion people will live in Asian cities by 2050. About 1.9 billion live in the urban areas of Asia now.
Asia's economic development has hurt its environment. Experts say more than 1,400 plants and animals in the area are endangered. In other words, they could soon no longer exist. About 95 per cent of Southeast Asia's coral reefs(珊瑚礁) are at risk. And, wetlands that once covered tens of thousands of kilometers of shorelines（海岸线） are disappearing faster in Asia than anywhere else in the world.
Zhang Xinsheng is president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. He says the planet needs new efforts .Yeshey Dorji is the Minister for Agriculture and Forests in Bhutan. He says it will not be easy to make people consider the long-term effects of their actions on the planet.
Officials with the International Union for Conservation of Nature say 2015 is a turning point for Asia. The Asia Regional director of the IUCN, Aban Marker Kabraji, says an urgent effort is needed. He says Asian countries need to take the energy that fueled 50 years of economic growth and use it to secure the well-being of both nature and humans.
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