Pollution Control In East Asia

Why do some economies seem to excel at effective pollution management while others miss the mark when responding to deteriorating urban environments? These studies of pollution management in East Asia's newly industrialized economies (NIEs) include successful government responses in Singapore and Taiwan, qualified results in China and Indonesia, and much more limited success in Thailand and Malaysia. In each example, Michael Rock considers the starting point of the economy as it began its path toward industrialization in the post World War II period. He discusses the relevant historical and political context, the pressures placed on the political system from domestic and international sources, and the influence of ongoing trends in East Asia for democratization and economic liberalization. Rock's text makes it clear that each economy found unique, innovative ways to link environmental protection to its own political and economic institutions. Thus, while public pressure from both home and abroad gave strong impetus to successful programs in Taiwan, the development of policy in Singapore involved limited public review and a centralized, government-led process. The result of Rock's scholarship is a book that provides important lessons without being reductionist. The book offers insights to apply to pollution management in a diverse range of developing nations, but avoids attempts for precise prescriptions, or universally appealing, normative answers. A copublication of Resources for the Future and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS).

This publication examines the existing systems for environmental governance in East Asian countries, a region which has seen considerable growth in its economy, industrial base and population in the last two decades. It contains cases studies from China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand and focuses on three sectors: pesticide management; water quality and resources management; and air pollution management. This selection is intended to provide a diverse mix of political and historical backgrounds in order to give a representative view of governance mechanisms in highly industrialised, industrialising and developing economies.

By examining the issues of environmental policy formation and implementation linked to economic development, and reviewing the Japanese experiences and the examples of other Asian countries, this book reveals factors of dynamism between environmental policy and social change in a domestic, regional and global context.

Through a focus on three environmental policy areas exhibiting different levels of success, this Element shows how governments in China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan have been able to craft pro-environmental policy by working in collaboration with business and societal interests.

World Bank Discussion Paper No. 224. All of the World Bank's priorities for environmental aid to Asia are described in this comprehensive manual. Also featured is a framework to improve the region's environmental management and achieve sustainable