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.