Environment, Development and Change in Rural Asia-Pacific

Environment, Development and Change in Rural Asia-Pacific
Author: John Connell
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 316
Release: 2006-12-05
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1134138911

This volume examines the economic, political, social and environmental challenges facing rural communities in the Asia-Pacific region, as global issues intersect with local contexts. Such challenges, from climatic change and volcanic eruption to population growth and violent civil unrest, have stimulated local resilience amongst communities and led to evolving regional institutions and environment management practices, changing social relationships and producing new forms of stratification. Bringing together case studies from across mainland Southeast Asia and the Island Pacific, an expert team of international contributors reveal how communities at the periphery take charge of their lives, champion the virtues of their own local systems of production and consumption, and engage in the complexities of new structures of development that demand a response to the vacillations of global politics, economy and society. Inherent in this is the recognition that 'development' as we have come to know it is far from over. Each chapter emphasizes the growing recognition that ecological and environmental issues are key to any understanding and analysis of structures of sustainable development. Providing diverse multidisciplinary theoretical and empirical perspectives, Environment, Development and Change in Rural Asia-Pacific makes an important contribution to the revitalization of development studies and as such will be essential reading for scholars in the field, as well as those with an interest in Asia-Pacific studies, economic geography and political economy.

Gender, the Environment and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific

Gender, the Environment and Sustainable Development in Asia and the Pacific
Author: United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Publisher: United Nations
Total Pages: 110
Release: 2017-09-27
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9213627335

This publication is the first Asia-Pacific report that comprehensively maps out the intersections between gender and environment at the levels of household, work, community and policy. It examines gender concerns in the spheres of food security, agriculture, energy, water, fisheries and forestry, and identifies strategic entry points for policy interventions. Based on a grounded study of the reality in the Asia-Pacific region, this report puts together good practices and policy lessons that could be capitalized by policymakers to advance the agenda of sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

Population, Development, and the Environment

Population, Development, and the Environment
Author: Helen James
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 460
Release: 2019-02-15
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9811321019

This book takes the reader into some of the most intransigent social, economic, and political issues that impact achieving sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific. Through meticulous analysis of the integrated relationships between population, development, and the environment, the chapters in this volume investigate the impacts of hydropower development on fragile ecosystems; mining, landslides and environmental degradation; deforestation; water and food security; rural-urban migration, poverty alleviation, civil society and community empowerment; and how disaster recovery requires multi-scalar and multi-disciplinary approaches that take into account governance, culture, and leadership. Legal frameworks may be legislated, but are often rarely implemented. The book will be valuable to students of sustainability, population and development, and governmental policy advising sectors as well as the NGO and humanitarian sectors. The distinctive characteristic of this book is that it encapsulates an integrated, multi-disciplinary focus which brings to the discussion both robust empirical research and challenging policy applications in the investigation of how the sustainable development goals may be achieved in Asia and the Pacific.

If Everyone Returned, The Island Would Sink

If Everyone Returned, The Island Would Sink
Author: Kirstie Petrou
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2020-02-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1789206227

Focusing on the small island of Paama, Vanuatu, and the capital, Port Vila, this book presents a rare and recent study of the ongoing significance of urbanisation and internal migration in the Global South. Based on longitudinal research undertaken in rural ‘home’ places, urban suburbs and informal settlements over thirty years, this book reveals the deep ambivalence of the outcome of migration, and argues that continuity in the fundamental organising principles of cultural life – in this case centred on kinship and an ‘island home’ – is significantly more important for urban and rural lives than the transformative impacts of migration and urbanisation.

Schooling for Sustainable Development:

Schooling for Sustainable Development:
Author: Margaret Robertson
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2012-03-14
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9400728816

"This book Schooling for Sustainable Development: A Focus on Australia, New Zealand and the Oceanic Region, is the product of passionate interests of teachers, scholars and researchers located in diverse parts of the Australasian region. Working with their colleagues within local contexts they have conducted research and gathered together information for practitioners and students interested in learning more about sustainable lifestyle practices. Some of the work has taken place in remote locations and some has been in within the confines of major cities. The Australasian Region brings together people and cultures that link traditional economies to global networks and lifestyles. Diverse terrain, politics and responses typify the region. Close to Asia there are lingering ties with old European ways and cultural beliefs. The major economies of Australia and New Zealand provide the lead with development practices for lesser economies such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji and the many island nations scattered throughout the South Pacific. This complexity is not easily represented. Key issues relate to land ownership, mobilities within the region and the gradual dissemination of knowledge, skills and wealth. The book will provide both reference material and interesting reading for teachers, researchers and practitioners in interested in community based perspectives on sustainability. We have learnt from each other and hope that others will benefit from our efforts."

Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Development

Routledge Handbook of Southeast Asian Development
Author: Andrew McGregor
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 544
Release: 2017-11-06
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317535979

Southeast Asia is one of the most diverse regions in the world – hosting a wide range of languages, ethnicities, religions, economies, ecosystems and political systems. Amidst this diversity, however, has been a common desire to develop. This provides a uniting theme across landscapes of difference. This Handbook traces the uneven experiences that have accompanied development in Southeast Asia. The region is often considered to be a development success story; however, it is increasingly recognized that growth underpinning this development has been accompanied by patterns of inequality, violence, environmental degradation and cultural loss. In 30 chapters, written by established and emerging experts of the region, the Handbook examines development encounters through four thematic sections: • Approaching Southeast Asian development, • Institutions and economies of development, • People and development and • Environment and development. The authors draw from national or sub-national case studies to consider regional scale processes of development – tracing the uneven distribution of costs, risks and benefits. Core themes include the ongoing neoliberalization of development, issues of social and environmental justice and questions of agency and empowerment. This important reference work provides rich insights into the diverse impacts of current patterns of development and in doing so raises questions and challenges for realizing more equitable alternatives. It will be of value to students and scholars of Asian Studies, Development Studies, Human Geography, Political Ecology and Asian Politics.

Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change

Shifting Cultivation and Environmental Change
Author: Malcolm F. Cairns
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 1057
Release: 2015-01-09
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1317750195

Shifting cultivation is one of the oldest forms of subsistence agriculture and is still practised by millions of poor people in the tropics. Typically it involves clearing land (often forest) for the growing of crops for a few years, and then moving on to new sites, leaving the earlier ground fallow to regain its soil fertility. This book brings together the best of science and farmer experimentation, vividly illustrating the enormous diversity of shifting cultivation systems as well as the power of human ingenuity. Some critics have tended to disparage shifting cultivation (sometimes called 'swidden cultivation' or 'slash-and-burn agriculture') as unsustainable due to its supposed role in deforestation and land degradation. However, the book shows that such indigenous practices, as they have evolved over time, can be highly adaptive to land and ecology. In contrast, 'scientific' agricultural solutions imposed from outside can be far more damaging to the environment and local communities. The book focuses on successful agricultural strategies of upland farmers, particularly in south and south-east Asia, and presents over 50 contributions by scholars from around the world and from various disciplines, including agricultural economics, ecology and anthropology. It is a sequel to the much praised "Voices from the Forest: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge into Sustainable Upland Farming" (RFF Press, 2007), but all chapters are completely new and there is a greater emphasis on the contemporary challenges of climate change and biodiversity conservation.

Land and Development in Indonesia

Land and Development in Indonesia
Author: John F McCarthy
Publisher: Flipside Digital Content Company Inc.
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2017-03-09
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9814762113

Indonesia was founded on the ideal of the "e;Sovereignty of the People"e;, which suggests the pre-eminence of people's rights to access, use and control land to support their livelihoods. Yet, many questions remain unresolved. How can the state ensure access to land for agriculture and housing while also supporting land acquisition for investment in industry and infrastructure? What is to be done about indigenous rights? Do registration and titling provide solutions? Is the land reform agenda "e;legislated but never implemented"e; still relevant? How should the land questions affecting Indonesia's disappearing forests be resolved? The contributors to this volume assess progress on these issues through case studies from across the archipelago: from large-scale land acquisitions in Papua, to asset ownership in the villages of Sulawesi and Java, to tenure conflicts associated with the oil palm and mining booms in Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra. What are the prospects for the "e;people's sovereignty"e; in regard to land?

Routledge Handbook of Environment and Society in Asia

Routledge Handbook of Environment and Society in Asia
Author: Paul G. Harris
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 700
Release: 2014-09-19
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317685709

Nowhere is the connection between society and the environment more evident and potentially more harmful for the future of the world than in Asia. In recent decades, rapid development of Asian countries with very large populations has led to an unprecedented increase in environmental problems such as air and water pollution, solid and hazardous wastes, deforestation, depletion of natural resources and extinction of native species. This handbook provides a comprehensive survey of the cultural, social and policy contexts of environmental change across East Asia. The team of international experts critically examine a wide range of environmental problems related to energy, climate change, air, land, water, fisheries, forests and wildlife. The editors conclude that, with nearly half of the human population of the planet, and several rapidly growing economies, most notably China, Asian societies will determine much of the future of human impacts on the regional and global environments. As climate change-related threats to society increase, the book strongly argues for increased environmental consciousness and action in Asian societies. This handbook is a very valuable companion for students, scholars, policy makers and researchers working on environmental issues in Asia.

Asian Migrations

Asian Migrations
Author: Tony Fielding
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2015-07-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1317952073

This textbook describes and explains the complex reality of contemporary internal and international migrations in East Asia. Taking an interdisciplinary approach; Tony Fielding combines theoretical debate and detailed empirical analysis to provide students with an understanding of the causes and consequences of the many types of contemporary migration flows in the region. Key features of Asian Migrations: Comprehensive coverage of all forms of migration including labour migration, student migration, marriage migration, displacement and human trafficking Text boxes containing key concepts and theories More than 30 maps and diagrams Equal attention devoted to broad structures (e.g. political economy) and individual agency (e.g. migration behaviours) Emphasis on the conceptual and empirical connections between internal and international migrations Exploration of the policy implications of the trends and processes discussed Written by an experienced scholar and teacher of migration studies, this is an essential text for courses on East Asian migrations and mobility and important reading for courses on international migration and Asian societies more generally.