Special issue on Environmental Reform in Asia

To date, most studies of environmental reform have focused on the experiences of advanced, industrialized societies in Europe and the Americas. Discussions of and theories on multi-level and multi-actor (environmental) governance, shifts in governance styles, ecological modernization, and the changing roles of the nation-state, have been supported empirically by case-studies and quantitative statistical analyses from these regions. Such studies may have limited applicability to conditions and processes of environmental governance and practice in Asia, a continent of critical importance for the global environment in the twenty-first century. As state-society relations in Asia have distinct qualities, characteristics, and dynamics, the successes and challenges of environmental reform there differ as well. Few systematic, comparative studies of environmental reform in Asia have been carried out. More common are local or country case studies stressing continuing environmental deteriorations. Analysis of reform efforts in Asia is complicated further by limited availability of reliable sources and data on environmental qualities, pollution patterns and resource extractions in the region. New research strategies, methods, & efforts are badly needed. Combining and assessing quantitative and qualitative approaches, this symposium sets a new agenda for research on environmental reform in Asia, examining experiences and designing methodologies on various key sectors, including urban environmental services, energy, water, air quality, and mining.