Dilemmas in Sustainable Development: Public Policy Case Studies from Asia

As the world, and Asia in particular, increasingly face threats from climate change and environmental degradation, the imperative for governments to pursue environmentally sustainable economic development becomes more urgent. This collection of eight case studies for teaching covers diverse policies for sustainable development such as transiting to renewable energy and achieving net-zero carbon emissions in Singapore and Vietnam, adapting agriculture to climate change in India, introducing ecological compensation in China, evaluating the impact of a hydropower dam in Cambodia, greening Special Economic Zones in Indonesia, and improving Environmental Impact Assessments in Singapore. The collection presents the dilemmas that Asian governments face when formulating policies for sustainable development, and how they must manage diverse stakeholders, competing priorities and unavoidable trade-offs.