Environmental governance for sustainable development in Asia

Abstract

Because of the size of its population and economy, good environmental governance in Asia is fundamental not only for the well-being of the region's population but also for the health of the planet. This article introduces the challenges of governing the environment in Asia. The issue evaluates the outcomes and institutional changes in selected countries related to substantive environmental issues such as air pollution, water quality, municipal solid waste, transport, land use, and climate change. By synthesizing the main research issues, methodology and findings of the growing literature on the region, we highlight the trends in environmental governance and gaps in policy and research. Despite the efforts made, there are still remaining environmental governance challenges to be addressed by both the academics and practitioners in Asia.