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.
Andrew McGregor is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Macquarie University, Australia. He is a human geographer with interests in political ecology, critical development studies and climate mitigation strategies in Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Australia. He is author of Southeast Asian Development (Routledge, 2008).
Lisa Law is Associate Professor at James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. She is an urban social geographer with interests in the politics of urban spaces in Southeast Asia and tropical Australia. She is currently Editor in Chief of Asia Pacific Viewpoint.
Fiona Miller is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Planning at Macquarie University, Australia. She is a human geographer with an interest in political ecology, social vulnerability, society-water relations and climate change adaptation in Vietnam, Cambodia and Australia. She is currently Southeast Asian Editor of Asia Pacific Viewpoint.
