International Law for Freedom

tocols and on the prospect that accession to the agreement could be extended from regional to international in the future. Given the grave and persistent problems of cross-border air pollution in various parts of Asia, it is appropriate to ask whether the air-pollution Convention, together with the protocols, can offer an adequate regime in response. Chapter Eight summarizes illustrations of implementation and the respect of individual legal instruments in the Central Asian states, which is a part of Asia with the maximum acceptance of the associated treaties as well as protocols. The states in Central Asia are initially seen as an independent geopolitical subregion, where the environmental challenges are well outlined and the specific role of UNECE is appropriately addressed. In this chapter, the different approaches to the EIA, which is also known as “state ecological competence,” is thoroughly explained in order to establish the framework for which the practice with legal agreements has brought particular challenges. Chapter Nine concludes with lessons from the experiences of the Central Asian states for the rest of Asia and the world to answer the related as well as central research questions posed in Chapter One. Ultimately, it would be fair enough to comment that the overarching strength of this book lies in its incredibly thorough articulation of international environmental reforms to address the various transboundary environmental challenges, which can, in reality, mutate once they are translated into the domestic or regional policy arena. Such a comprehensive and detailed scholarship is a treasured contribution to the literature about transboundary environmental governance, particularly in Asian settings.