Toward Sustainable Environmental Quality: Priority Research Questions for Asia

Kenneth M.Y. Leung*, Katie W.Y. Yeung, Kyungho Choi, Xiaowei Zhang, Ross Smith, Guang Jie Zhou, Mana M.N. Yung, Carlos Arias-Barreiro, Youn Joo An, S. Rebekah Burket, Robert Dwyer, Nathalie Goodkin, Yii Siang Hii, Tham Hoang, Chris Humphrey, Chuleemas Boonthai Iwai, Seung Woo Jeong, Guillaume Juhel, Ali Karami, Katerina Kyriazi-HuberKuan Chun Lee, Bin Le Lin, Ben Lu, Patrick Martin, Mae Grace Nillos, Katharina Oginawati, I. V.N. Rathnayake, Yenny Risjani, Mohammad Shoeb, Chin Hon Tan, Maria Claret Tsuchiya, Gerald T. Ankley, Alistair B.A. Boxall, Murray A. Rudd, Bryan W. Brooks

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

Environmental and human health challenges are pronounced in Asia, an exceptionally diverse and complex region where influences of global megatrends are extensive and numerous stresses to environmental quality exist. Identifying priorities necessary to engage grand challenges can be facilitated through horizon scanning exercises, and to this end we identified and examined 23 priority research questions needed to advance toward more sustainable environmental quality in Asia, as part of the Global Horizon Scanning Project. Advances in environmental toxicology, environmental chemistry, biological monitoring, and risk-assessment methodologies are necessary to address the adverse impacts of environmental stressors on ecosystem services and biodiversity, with Asia being home to numerous biodiversity hotspots. Intersections of the food–energy–water nexus are profound in Asia; innovative and aggressive technologies are necessary to provide clean water, ensure food safety, and stimulate energy efficiency, while improving ecological integrity and addressing legacy and emerging threats to public health and the environment, particularly with increased aquaculture production. Asia is the largest chemical-producing continent globally. Accordingly, sustainable and green chemistry and engineering present decided opportunities to stimulate innovation and realize a number of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Engaging the priority research questions identified herein will require transdisciplinary coordination through existing and nontraditional partnerships within and among countries and sectors. Answering these questions will not be easy but is necessary to achieve more sustainable environmental quality in Asia. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:1485–1505.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1485-1505
Number of pages21
JournalEnvironmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Volume39
Issue number8
Early online date20 Jul 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Aug 2020

Bibliographical note

© 2020 The Authors
Funding Information:
We thank Baylor University, T. and D. Robert, the University of York, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Hong Kong, and the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (City University of Hong Kong) for financial support. In-kind support was provided by SETAC. We deeply acknowledge all of the experts who anonymously submitted questions, which made this exercise possible. We also thank the editor, J. Diamond, and the 2 anonymous reviewers for providing useful and constructive comments on a draft of this manuscript. All authors do not have a conflict of interest to declare. Current address for N. Goodkin is American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.

Funding Information:
We thank Baylor University, T. and D. Robert, the University of York, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the University of Hong Kong, and the State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (City University of Hong Kong) for financial support. In‐kind support was provided by SETAC. We deeply acknowledge all of the experts who anonymously submitted questions, which made this exercise possible. We also thank the editor, J. Diamond, and the 2 anonymous reviewers for providing useful and constructive comments on a draft of this manuscript. All authors do not have a conflict of interest to declare. Current address for N. Goodkin is American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY.

Keywords

  • Biomonitoring
  • Climate change
  • Environmental chemistry
  • Environmental toxicology
  • Hazard/risk assessment

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