Environmental pollution has become a global issue for the past few decades. Most of it is caused by industrial development and human activities. The recent rapid economic growth and industrial development in Asian countries (e.g., China, Vietnam, etc.) have increased the threat of pollution in the environment. Urban development has also resulted in  land use changes directly affecting  water resources and ecosystems.  Surface water and ground water in some Asian countries have been contaminated with both organic and inorganic substances. In big cities and industrial areas, air is polluted with chemicals emitted from industrial facilities. This directly affects public health. Global warming and climate change have affected coastal environments in most Southeast Asian countries. Many areas in the Mekong Delta are contaminated with sea salt due to seawater intrusion as a result of seawater rise. This heavily affects rice cultivation in the Mekong Delta.

A lack of public awareness and ineffective environmental regulation has led to environmental problems for some Asian countries. The slow developmental pace of environmental science programs in developing countries have resulted in limited awareness of environmental impacts and ineffective regulation between developed and developing countries. As environmental problems, especially in some Asian countries, continue to increase, the need for global education and proper management of natural resources becomes imperative.

Based on suggestions of the conference participants, the goals of the third meeting are to gather scientists from around the world in Quy Nhon to share research results and management experiences, discuss environmental issues, and continue to strengthen collaborations for research and education between scientists in developed and developing countries.