The Thematic Working group on Environment and Disaster Management of the United Nations Asia-Pacific had a Special Exhibition for the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) on 23rd – 25th May 2011 at the United Nations Conference Center in Bangkok during the Ministerial Segment of the ESCAP 67th Commission Session. The RCM consisted of more than twenty United Nations Agencies and Programmes working in the Asia and the Pacific.

The Exhibition was held under four main themes:
1. Eco-Efficiency / Sustainable Energy
2. Disaster Management
3. Sustainable and Inclusive Rural Development
4. Sustainable and Inclusive Urban Development

The exhibitions under these themes aimed to present UN initiatives on environmentally sustainable development along with initiatives to help strengthen natural disaster preparedness and the coping capabilities of UN Member States. Products, technologies, services and information on innovations were displayed to illustrate these initiatives.

AIT, along with AIT Consulting, assisted Habitech with the coordination and organization for the conference. Representatives from AIT were in attendance at the exhibition to present information about Habitech technology and activities, including Ridwan Quaium of AIT Consulting and Watcharathron Chantinmathorn, Preecha Jaengjit and Chalard Jaengjit of Habitech.

Habitech Center is a Research and Development Center of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET) at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Pathumthani, Thailand, for a cost effective housing system called Self-Contained Housing Delivery System or Habitech Building System. This system has been transferred to more than 150 small and large projects. Major activities of the center over the last ten years include research and development, fabrication and procurement of equipment, offering training and short courses, conducting housing and construction projects, producing building materials, marketing and disseminating technology, and feasibility and financial analysis of projects in the building materials industry.

Habitech’s exhibits and displays were considered to be highly informative and consistent with the directions of the UN’s support to policy makers in the Asia-Pacific region in the areas of environment, energy, rural development, urban development and disaster risk management.