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Sustainable development is present everywhere in Vietnam. This book analyses the sustainable development narrative and its use by different actors in Vietnam. It examines how narratives are used to establish environmental rule in the socialist state. By focusing on NGOs and their positions in the Vietnamese context, the book illustrates how different actors use the Sustainable Development narrative to navigate power relations with the authoritarian state and the international donors, and how the narrative differs from theory to the actual practices on the ground. The book will be of interest to scholars of Vietnam who wish to understand development and state-society relations in environmental governance. It is an important read for development practitioners.
Peatland ecosystems in Southeast Asia are globally important as carbon sinks, rich in terrestrial and aquatic fauna and flora, and important sources of livelihood for local communities. However, agribusiness-driven land-use change and drainage cause peatland degradation and peat fires, which generate 'haze' air pollution and lead to significant economic losses and health impacts. Disturbed peatlands also become substantial sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the problems of haze and climate change are connected through peatlands, these issues have been treated largely separately in policy and governance. We provide an overview of Southeast Asian peatlands, assessing opportunities and challenges for greater integration of policy and governance in addressing haze, climate change and other sustainability dimensions. We focus on Indonesia and Malaysia, the Southeast Asian countries with the largest peatland areas.
We summarize key developments, along with evidence indicating that peatlands represent a large proportion of national GHG emissions in both Indonesia and Malaysia. We trace the evolution of peatland policies at the national and regional levels, from focusing on conservation to addressing fire and haze issues, reflecting their complex relationship with national development and the corporate sector. We found that for these two key countries, the most recent government-reported peatland emissions appear somewhat lower than is suggested by academic studies for Indonesia and substantially lower in the case of Malaysia. We emphasize the complex challenge of integrating policies across multiple scales and issues, with international, regional and national actors, and in multiple industries, all active in peatland governance.
It is often assumed that deindustrialization is a bad thing, confined to the Global North, and caused by cheap imports from the Global South. Although not entirely incorrect, the truth is far more complicated. Ray Kiely argues that the current economic debate assumes too much in terms of causality around deindustrialization, which is better seen as a product of wider changes in contemporary global capitalism. Yet, evidence of a zero-sum game doesn't have to be very strong for this to have become an issue of deep politics, informing right-wing populism and contemporary geopolitical tensions (namely with China). A clearer understanding of the processes of deindustrialization can help in appreciating the political responses and movements across the Global North - and South - and enable us to find better responses to the processes themselves.
Investigating climate-controlled agriculture and alternatives to animal proteins, John Wilkinson shows that trade and investment in agrifood is reorienting to the Global South. He skilfully illustrates the connections between social movements and technological innovation - and the need for consumer acceptance of new food habits.
This collection presents critical and action-oriented approaches to addressing food systems challenges across places, spaces, and scales. With global case studies, it explores the interconnections between the social and ecological dynamics of food systems, exploring efforts to co-construct more equitable and sustainable food systems for all.
This introductory textbook with a global scope aims to train students of geography, sustainability, and urban and environmental studies to re-imagine and transform cities to meet climate, biodiversity, and sustainability challenges. A dedicated team of authors critically examine the relationships between nature and urban areas, sharing an inspiring account of how nature helps us re-think our cities and their futures. Prior to this textbook, literature for courses covering urban nature was written by and for practitioners, whereas this textbook is written by experienced course instructors specifically to be accessible to diverse students. The textbook is illustrated with numerous photos and figures which bring key topics, challenges, and opportunities to life. It contains focus boxes and case studies from every continent, offering students an international scope and multiple entry points into the field. Chapters conclude with thought-provoking follow-up questions and recommended reading. The authors provide an array of supplementary online resources.
This book examines contradictions within the fields of food studies and agroecology, from the differences between traditional and scientific knowledge, to habitat fragmentation and connection, monocultures versus diverse farming systems, pest regulation, and the rural/urban dialectic. Building and expanding on the work of Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin, who used the dialectical method in the field of biology, this analysis includes examples from the authors' own pioneering research in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Puerto Rico, to demonstrate the benefits of applying the dialectical method to agroecology in practice. Exploring themes in studies that are currently the subject of rigorous debate among academics and activists alike, especially related to food production and distribution, this book is indispensable for practitioners and activists seeking to transform the food system, as well as for social and natural scientists.
How do we combine the areas of intersection between science and indigenous knowledge, but without losing the totality of both? This book's objective is to consider how Indigenous populations have lived and managed the landscape. Specifically, how their footprint was a result of the combination of their empirical knowledge and their culture. The chapters are divided into four groups: The first deals with reintegrating cultures and natural landscapes and the role of kinship and oral tradition. The second group approaches the landscape as a living university of learning and managing, discussing the ethnobotany of how to grow more responsibly, and assess and project the harvest. The third group deals with the managing of fire in an anthropogenic plant community and how to integrate indigenous agriculture in hydrology and dry regions. The fourth group consists of studies of how science and indigenous knowledge can be taught in schools using land-based studies.
Providing students with a solid understanding of core ecological concepts while explaining how ecologists raise and answer real-world questions, this second edition weaves together classic and cutting-edge case studies to bring the subject to life. It is fully updated throughout, including two chapters devoted to climate change ecology, along with extensive coverage of disease ecology, and has been designed specifically to equip students with the tools to analyze and interpret real data. Each chapter emphasizes the linkage between observations, ideas, questions, hypotheses, predictions, results, and conclusions. Additional summary sections describe the development and evolution of research programs in each of ecology's core areas, providing students with essential context. Integrated discussion questions, along with end-of-chapter questions, encourage active learning. These are supported by online resources including tutorials that teach students to use the R programming language for statistical analyses of data presented in the text.
There has been a recent resurgence in interest in the theorization of labour regimes in various disciplines. This has taken the form of a concern to understand the role that labour regimes play in the structuring, organization and dynamics of global systems of production and reproduction. The concept has a long heritage that can be traced back to the 1970s and the contributions to this book seek to develop further this emerging field.
The book traces the intellectual development of labour regime concepts across various disciplines, notably political economy, development studies, sociology and geography. Building on these foundations it considers conceptual debates around labour regimes and global production relating to issues of scale, informality, gender, race, social reproduction, ecology and migration, and offers new insights into the work conditions of global production chains from Amazon's warehouses in the United States, to industrial production networks in the Global South, and to the dormitory towns of migrant workers in Czechia. It also explores recent mobilizations of labour regime analysis in relation to methods, theory and research practice.
Well-designed industrial policies can improve a nation's economic performance. Using a range of tools, such as subsidies, tax incentives, infrastructure development, protective regulations, and R&D support, governments are able to support specific industries or economic activities.
Steve Coulter examines the patterns of industrial policymaking across late capitalist societies. Drawing on case studies from a range of countries, each with different growth models, national capabilities, policy traditions, and political/welfare state regimes, he is able to offer a nuanced comparative assessment of states' responses to specific economic challenges. The book draws broad conclusions about the trajectories of industrial policy and highlights key technical and political drivers that policymakers consider when addressing whether best practice should centre on general or nationally-specific approaches. The book also focuses on fresh challenges and opportunities for industrial policy and questions the sustainability of current policy practice.
Agri-food systems in the Global North are experiencing a wave of technological innovation in food production and ways of eating. This book is the first to analyse technological and socio-economic change in leading food sectors and it concludes that despite innovation, the food industry is adapting too slowly to the challenges of climate change.
A timely and important examination of the environmental crises, investigating their biophysical, political, economic, and socio-cultural aspects, that reveals why previous conservation efforts failed.
The Climate Change in Southeast Asia Workshop and Compendium Series is a platform to facilitate and promote research on climate-related issues in the Southeast Asian region. Organized by the Climate Change in Southeast Asia Programme at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, the objective of this platform is to facilitate knowledge exchange and share best practices to deepen understanding of the complex and multidimensional nature of climate change. This inaugural publication sheds light on varied and contextual experiences of Southeast Asian urban communities in addressing climate challenges and scenarios for future policy making.
Reproductive Biology of Angiosperms: Concepts and Laboratory Methods will cater to the needs of undergraduate and graduate students pursuing core and elective courses in life sciences, botany, and plant sciences. The book is designed according to the syllabi followed in major Indian universities. It provides the latest and detailed description of structures and processes involved in reproduction in higher plants. The inclusion of colour photographs and illustrations will be an effective visual aid to help readers. Interesting and significant findings of the latest research taking place in the field of reproductive biology are also provided in boxes. At the end of each chapter, the methodology of hands-on exercises is presented for the implementation and practice of theoretical concepts.
One of iconic Africa's Big Five, the African buffalo is the largest African bovine or antelope that occurs throughout most of sub-Sahara and in a wide range of ecosystems from savanna to rainforest. The African buffalo is also one of the most successful large African mammals in terms of abundance and biomass. This species thus represents a powerful model to enhance our understanding of African biogeography and wildlife conservation, ecology and management. Edited by four researchers experienced in different aspects of the African buffalo's biology, this volume provides an exhaustive compilation of knowledge on an emblematic species that stands out as an important component of African natural and human ecosystems. It delivers a global view of the African buffalo and all known aspects of its ecology and management. This book will appeal to students, scholars, scientists and wildlife managers as well as those enthusiastic about the charismatic species. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Recent developments in ecological theory point the way to a stewardship approach that promotes biocultural diversity and ecosystem resilience. In addition, the escalating pace of anthropogenic environmental change makes it clear that conservation strategies which incorporate social as well as ecological dimensions are essential. This thoroughly updated version of Conservation in the Context of a Changing World covers a broader geographic, historical, and cultural scope that integrates material from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Contemporary and comprehensive, this book provides essential material for understanding trade-offs between different options for resolving complex issues, including climate policy, the contrasting interests of different groups, the changing roles of Indigenous peoples, biopiracy, human-wildlife conflict, and new governance models such as co-management. Sources of evidence about the natural world and the roles of local and traditional people are emphasized. This is a vital resource for making informed decisions about controversial issues in conservation.
It is estimated that today some 2.7% of world GDP ($1.5 trillion) is spent on arms. In 2014 Lockheed Martin, the US defence contractor, had revenues of $45 billion - the equivalent of the GDP of Tunisia. This book explores the business behind these breathtaking figures and explains how the arms industry makes its money.
The book begins by defining the industry, explaining why the sector is important, outlining its prime contractors and key supply chains. Its cost categories (from R&D to maintenance), the role of technical innovation, and the sector's dependence on the monopsony buying power of Government, are all examined. The structure-conduct and performance model is used to show the workings of the arms market and its various entry and exit conditions, and the sector's performance is analysed through various indicators including exports, development time scales, cost overruns and profitability. The complex choice problems of domestic procurement are considered alongside sales to foreign governments and the opportunities that may present for bribery and corruption.
The Military-Industrial-Political-Complex (MIPC) is unpacked and the behaviour of its major agents is scrutinised, both in times of conflict (expansion) and peace (contraction). The book concludes by considering future trends, such as whether arms industries are better under state or private ownership, and how they can meet the challenge of new threats in different forms. The discussion throughout is anchored to case studies from all parts of the world, including Brazil, Korea, Japan, Russia as well as UK, US and Europe.
The growing economic power of government has prompted many studies to seek to establish the optimum size of government and how it might relate to economic growth, productivity and inflation.
Václav Rybáček examines how these studies have used national accounts and officially published statistics to invariably underestimate the size of government, which has lead to erroneous economic policy recommendations and ultimately to an unrealistic assessment of a government's ability to meet its debts. The book shows how the methodology of macroeconomic statistics has failed to keep pace with the expansion of government and has misallocated, for example, many public producers in the field of financial services, to the corporate sector. Even central banks conducting government policy are shown to stand outside official figures on the size of government. Similarly, when showing the relative size of government, the choice of denominator, such as GDP, can further lead to underestimating government size.
Drawing on Austrian economic theory, in particular in relation to market operation, the book offers a more robust methodology for the measurement of government, which is then used to recalculate fiscal indicators and GDP in order to present a more appropriate set of data for the analysis of public sector dynamics in the majority of EU countries.
High mountain habitats are globally important for biodiversity. At least 12% of birds worldwide breed at or above the treeline, many of which are endemic species or species of conservation concern. However, due to the challenges of studying mountain birds in difficult-to-access habitats, little is known about their status and trends. This book provides the first global review of the ecology, evolution, life history and conservation of high mountain birds, including comprehensive coverage of their key habitats across global mountain regions, assessments of diversity patterns along elevation gradients, and adaptations for life in the alpine zone. The main threats to mountain bird populations are also identified, including climate change, human land use and recreational activities. Written for ecologists and naturalists, this book identifies key knowledge gaps and clearly establishes the research priorities needed to increase our understanding of the ecology of mountain birds and to aid in their conservation.