Challenging Southeast Asian Development

Over the course of the last half century, the growth economies of Southeast Asia – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – have transformed themselves into middle income countries. This book looks at how the very success of these economies has bred new challenges, novel problems, and fresh tensions, including the fact that particular individuals, sectors and regions have been marginalised by these processes. Contributing to discussions of policy implications, the book melds endogenous and exogenous approaches to thinking about development paths, re-frames Asia’s model(s) of growth and draws out the social, environmental, political and economic side-effects that have arisen from growth. An interesting analysis of the problems that come alongside development’s achievements, this book is an important contribution to Southeast Asian Studies, Development Studies and Environmental Studies.

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.

As Southeast Asia sheds its colonial vest, its development and transformation into young nation-states pick up momentum as globalization and technology become the backdrop of the new millennium. Some of the most crucial issues confronting Southeast Asia today are addressed in this volume as ASEAN takes stock of its achievements after three decades and recaptures its vision for the new millennium. The post colonial era in the region signaled a reconceptualization of geographical space as Southeast Asian countries established themselves territorially and harnessed their energies to work collectively in the new global equation. This led to formation of organizations, such as ASEAN, AFTA and the economic growth triangles, which represent a clear Southeast Asian voice internationally. Paradoxically, development in Southeast Asia brings new challenges as globalization and new economic trends lead to intensive intra-regional population movements, the rise of megacities, the search to resolve

This volume studies the governance and implementation of the sustainable development goals in Southeast Asia, in particular the difficulties in the shift from the international to the national, the multi-level challenges of implementation, and the involvement of stakeholders, civil society, and citizens in the process.

Southeast Asia has long fascinated development practitioners and researchers for being one of the few regions of the world that has resisted global trends to become a successful developing region. Divided into accessible thematic chapters, this book adopts a unique perspective of equitable development to outline the strengths and weaknesses of the transformations taking place in the Southeast Asian region. Focusing on four key themes: equality and inequality; political freedom and opportunity; empowerment and participation; and environmental sustainability, these concepts are used to explore Southeast Asian development and trace the impacts that the growing popularity of market-led and grassroots approaches are having upon economic, political and social processes. Whilst the diversity of the region is emphasized so are some of the homogenizing trends such as the concentration of wealth and services in urban areas and the subsequent migration of rural people into urban factories and squatter settlements. The ongoing commercialization and industrialization of rural agriculture as well as the expansion of non-farm income earning opportunities in rural spaces, and the alarming rates of environmental degradation which threaten health and livelihoods are also exposed. In highlighting how Southeast Asian development is unevenly distributing wealth, opportunities and risks throughout the region, this book emphasizes the need for creative new approaches to ensure that benefits of development are equitably enjoyed by all. Including illustrations, case studies and further reading, this book provides an accessible up-to-date introductory text for students and researchers interested in Southeast Asian development, development studies, Asian studies and geography.

"Southeast Asia has long fascinated development practitioners and researchers for being one of the few regions of the world that has resisted global trends to become a successful developing region. Millions have emerged from poverty, health and education indicators are improving and international conflict is largely absent. However this success is questioned for concealing widespread hardships and contributing to growing rates of inequality, suppression of civil and political rights, restructuring of local livelihoods, and widespread environmental degradation. The ability or otherwise of Southeast Asia, as one of the world's most successful developing regions, to overcome these challenges raises fundamental questions about the nature and desirability of development itself.

Asia is in the midst of a great economic and social transformation. In virtually every dimension, life in Asia is changing at an unprecedented pace: its people have become richer, healthier, better fed, and more educated in a remarkably short period of time. But not all Asians have benefited equally. Some countries, regions within countries, and groups within societies still lag seriously behind. Asia is also a much more polluted and environmentally degraded place than it was 30 years ago. This book, Emerging Asia: Changes and Challenges, looks at this great transformation and analyzes the prospects for its continuation. Taking a forward-looking and broad view of the development process, the book identifies the major trends that are likely to influence Asia's future. It then asks how these might affect future policy and institutional choices.

Urbanization occurs in tandem with development. Countries in Southeast Asia need to build - individually and collectively - the capacity of their cities and towns to promote economic growth and development, to make urban development more sustainable, to mitigate and adapt to climate change, and to ensure that all groups in society share in the development. This book is a result of a series of regional discussions by experts and practitioners involved in the urban and planning of their countries. It highlights urbanization issues that have implications for regional - including ASEAN - cooperation, and provides practical recommendations for policymakers. It is a first step towards assisting governments in the region to take advantage of existing collaborative partnerships to address the urban transformation that Southeast Asia is experiencing today.