Society's dependence on fossil fuel for mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal has caused serious environmental problems such as global warming, pollution, wastes and toxic substances. In this context, the value of effective use of biomass, a renewable, biologically derived organic resource, is receiving considerable attention.
Moreover, though many of the countries of Asia are rich in biomass resources due to their climate and other factors, there is profound concern that their future economic and population growth will lead to both increased energy consumption and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
Given this situation, the following tasks have become urgently necessary, from both a global and Asian regional perspective:
- 1.Dissemination and sharing of technological achievements with regard to the effective use of biomass as a part of measures to prevent global warming;
- 2.Contribution to the creation of sustainable, recycling-oriented societies in Asia through the effective use of wastes and other measures;
- 3.Fostering of competitive, environmentally benign industries through the use of biomass for alternative energy generation and for conversion in tovariousproducts; and
- 4.Revitalization of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries and the communities engaged in them through effective use of biomass.
In pursuit of these goals, strengthening environmental and energy partnerships among the Asian nations is indispensable. As a concrete step in that direction, we are organizing "Biomass-Asia Workshop", an international workshop which brings together government officials and researchers active in the field of biomass in countries throughout Asia. Based on the technologies discussed and opinions exchanged at the past three workshops, this fourth workshop will chart a clear direction for research and development on industrial and agricultural technologies in this important field.
