INTR9042A Environment and Development in Asia

This topic is about the politics of environment and the major environmental issues and debates in countries of the Asian region, with a focus on India, Southeast Asia, China and Japan. Asian countries have some of the fastest economic growth rates in the world, with long term environmental consequences. What are the causes and social impacts of coastal ecological degradation, deforestation of tropical rain forests, and water and air pollution in the context of rapid urbanisation and what policies are being implemented to cope with these problems? How have the environmental impacts of large dams, large mines and tourism affected people's livelihoods? What is being done by governments and environmental NGOs to clean up the mess? How have Asian cultural and religious belief systems influenced the environment in Asian countries?

This topic aims to:

• Explore the current state of the environment in countries of Asia and the causes of the environmental crises now facing the countries of Asia
• Provide an explanation of what governments, Non Government Organisations and local communities in the region are doing in response to these problems, and the obstacles they face
• Evaluate how effective these policies and programmes are

1. Demonstrate knowledge about major environmental issues in countries in the Asian region
2. Analyse the causes of environmental problems, and discuss the impacts of development on the environment in countries of the Asian region
3. Discuss how governments and NGO's have tried to solve environmental problems
4. Critically evaluate these policies and their impacts, particularly on the poor in the region