CIEL Completes Environmental Law Profiles
for Ten Asian Countries

For further information, please contact info@ciel.org.

August 1997 (Washington, DC) – Working with Asian partners, the Center for International Environmental Law has prepared ten environmental law country profiles for the Asian Development Bank in July. The 340-page compilation was edited by CIEL Law Fellow Stephen Porter, who was assisted by Owen Lynch, CIEL’s Senior Attorney for the Law and Communities Program, and Eric Esler (eesler@forum.org.kh), who serves as CIEL’s Asia Counsel. Mr. Esler is currently on assignment for UNDP/ETAP in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

The ten country profiles were written by the following partners:

    Bangladesh --Mohiuddin Farooque Secretary General, Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), Dhaka

    China -- Richard J. Ferris, Jr. Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. and Zhang Hongjun, Environmental Protection & Resources Committee, National People’s Congress PRC

    India – Veera Kaul Singh, Centre for Environmental Law, New Dehli

    Indonesia -- Mas Achmad Santosa, Indonesia Center for Environmental Law, Jakarta

    Malaysia -- Cecilia Oh Mei-Yun, Consultant, Kuala Lampur

    Thailand --Vichai Suthamtarkul, Environmental Law Officer, Mekong Region Law Center, and Associate Dean, Assumption University Law School

    Pakistan – Uzma Ahmad, American University’s Washington College of Law

    Philippines – Antonio Oposa, Oposa Law Offices, Makati, Metro Manila

    Sri Lanka – Lalanath de Silva, The Environmental Foundation, (EFL), Colombo

    Vietnam – Tran Thi Thnah Phuong and Lee Thi Ngoc


The profiles are designed to assist Bank staff as they evaluate the environmental implications of projects proposed for Bank financing. The profiles' uniform approach allows cross-country comparisons of different methods of addressing environmental problems. These comparisons will improve the prospects for cooperation among the participating Asian countries as they encounter similar environmental challenges. In addition, the profiles highlight the environmental law areas of each country that require stronger regulations.

CIEL has also copiled the North American Environmental Law Database which profiles the national environmental legislation of Canada, Mexico, and the United States.