Environment Minister Discusses Climate Change Response with WHO Western Pacific Regional Director

Discussion on Exchange and Cooperation Plans in the Field of Environmental Health

Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, is attending the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment, met with Saiya Mau Piukala, Director of the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office, on the 19th to discuss exchange and cooperation measures in the field of environmental health in response to climate change in the Western Pacific region.

Saiya Mau Piukala, who took office this month as Director of the Western Pacific Regional Office, is from Tonga, a Pacific island country, and has served as Minister of Health and a member of the National Assembly.

The Ministry of Environment has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Western Pacific Regional Office since 2010 to share environmental health policies in the Asian region and establish a cooperative system, supporting collaborative projects.

On this occasion of the bilateral meeting, the two organizations agreed to strengthen cooperation to enhance climate change response capacity in the Western Pacific region and to establish management of environmental health risk factors, while continuing practical discussions on specific cooperation tasks and implementation plans to produce tangible results.

They also discussed the future operational direction of the Asia-Pacific Environmental Health Center, a regional specialized branch of the Western Pacific Regional Office. The Asia-Pacific Environmental Health Center was established in 2019 through a tripartite memorandum of understanding among the Ministry of Environment, the Western Pacific Regional Office, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, located at the Seoul Global Center (Jongno-gu, Seoul).

The center began its work in January 2020, conducting research on health impacts caused by environmental pollution (air, water quality, climate change, chemical substances), and providing guidelines and policy directions related to pollutants.

Director Piukala stated, "Climate change is the most concerning area within the World Health Organization," and added, "Since taking office, accelerating action on climate change and environmental health has been set as the top policy priority of the Western Pacific Regional Office."

Minister Han emphasized, "The Western Pacific region is particularly vulnerable to environmental crises, making climate change response extremely important," and stated, "As the lead ministry for climate change response in the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of Environment will strengthen cooperation with the World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office in the fields of climate change, environment, and health in the Western Pacific region."

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