This Report (SoER1) is the first in the series of state of the environment reporting of ASEAN. The SoER1 takes stock of environmental conditions and their impact and interrelati onship with other sectoral areas in ASEAN. The SoER1 also offers a glimpse of the prospects and challenges facing the region and highlight what ASEAN has done to protect the environment and promote sustainable development. The SoER1 was the result of collaborative efforts among ASEAN Member Countries especially their national environmental agencies, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and individual experts, under the supervision and coordination of the ASEAN Secretariat. The SoER1 covered the seven countries which were then member countries of ASEAN, i.e. Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.