HONG KONG. June 5: Asia's response to World Environment Day was most enthusiastic tn some of its poor est countries, which welcomed this year's theme of "poverty and the living environment" as a timely reminder to richer nations, reports AFP.

Several countries Including Bangladesh stressed that the tough economic choices needed to combat pollution are especially difficult for less developed countries.

Indonesian. President Suharto cited a close link between poverty and environmental degration in a speech commemorating the UN backed environment day.

He said the environment was a shared world responsibility and that rich countries must understand that the world's poor, driven by desperation, often have no choice but to continue with destructive practices.

"We should implement the appropriate polices in helping them (the poor) so that they can overcome their environmental problems and expand the choices for their livelihood and the fulfilling of their needs,” said Suharto, whose country counts 27 million

people below Its own official poverty line.

Nepalese Prime Minister Otrija I Ta sad Koirala opened an exhibition aimed at encouraging the planting of more tress tn a country that Is already suffering serious social and economic consequences from massive deforestation.

According to the UN Development Programme, deforestation Is tn large part responsible for the fact that 70 per cent of Nepal's people live below the poverty line, and has forced millions to leave their native mountain areas.

In Bangladesh, Forest and Environment Minister Abdullah al Noman said poverty was "the main obstacle to protecting the environment.'

Noman said the government had taken various measures to protect the forests, but low educational standards and a lack of money for alternative fuels were undermining efforts to stop the widespread felling of trees for use as fuel In homes and Industries.

But other countries under fire for their policies took a more low-key approach to World Environment Day. essentially underlining the fact that development remains a more immediate priority.

In Malaysia, where Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has accused the west of hypocrisy for criticising the cutting of tropical forests In poor countries. World

Environment Day received no official recognition.

A newspaper did hold an environmental festival, but it was attended by only several hundred people.

India, which la pushing ahead with two massive dam projects widely criticised by environmentalists, did however announce a 140 million dollar Japanese-funded project to clean up the Vamuna river, which flows through the capital Delhi. and a national action Can to target the most polled stretches of 17 major rivers.

In China, acknowledged to have grave pollution problems in many areas, the United Nations and the government participated in an award ceremony for a number of environmental achievements.

But the current leadership has given no indication of slowing the rapid economic development and corresponding increase in consumption and vehicle use that experts say are seriously worsening the environment in the country of 1.2 billion people.

World Environment Day went largely uhnoticed in Japan and was mainly Ignored by the media, although the leading economic daily Nihon Kelzal Shimbun called on the government 'to demonstrate its leadership for the global standpoint' by taking a stronger stance against pollution.

But the newspaper noted that a fundamental disagreement between rich and poor countries over environmental Issues remained unresolved.