When the first Africa Environment Outlook (AEO) report was presented to the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) in 2002 it was adopted by the Ministers as a tool for African policy makers to use in the assessment of the pressing environmental issues facing the region. UNEP, through its Division of Early Warning and Assessment (DEWA) and the Regional Office for Africa, continues to assist AMCEN with the regular production of the report. This booklet has been prepared as a complimentary product of the AEO and summarizes major environmental events and trends from July 2002 - May 2004, focusing on poverty and environment, freshwater, land, biodiversity, environmental emergencies and security, small islands developing states, climate and the major regional institutional developments in the area of environment. The objective is to keep these rapidly evolving issues in the focus of the decision makers in the region and stimulate timely action to address them.

In last a few decades since 1960s, the economic growth and national development of Korea are rapidly achieved, however these have resulted in a number of environmental problems. For example, the high growth of industralization and urbanization has caused the overuse of water and its contamination especially in four major rivers and their basins. On the other hand, the demand of clean water has been raised, as the living standards and environmental consciousness of people have increased. As one of efforts to address this issue, the expansion of sewerage facilities was launched in mid 1980s and it has been enhanced whenever environmental accidents have occurred such as phenol spill in 1991 causing odor of tap water and death of fish. Six general plans of water resource management to improve water water quality were made and 10.6 trillion Korean won (US$ 10.5 billion) was invested by the government from 1989 to 1997. As a result, 60.9% of sewage was treated by facilities in 1997. Despite the steady investment in sewerage facilities and significant efforts made by the government, water quality grew worse in water supply sources.

A learning-by-doing workbook on water for children, 'A Trip with the Drip - The Water Drop, is a colourful workbook and CD contain basic facts, and other interesting information.

This report presents an integrated assessment of the impacts of trade liberalization on the rice sector of Viet Nam. The assessment was supported by UNEP and carried out in 2002 & 2003 by an interdisciplinary team that involved members of various Vietnamese Agricultural Universities and Research Institutes.