Asia's environment is likely to extract a heavy price in the near future. According to Philippe Beregeron, head of the Singapore-based Regional Institute of Environmental Technology (RIET), Asia needs to spend billions of dollars to provide a decent environment.

Quoting World Bank estimates, he says Asia may have to spend 16 cents of every dollar from its turnover to develop environmental infrastructure by the year 2000. RIET is focussing its attention on China, India, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. "Water, solid waste and air pollution are the 3 major concerns in these countries," says Beregeron.