The State of the Environment in Asia: 1999/2000

Description

Why Asia? Significance and Purpose of The State of the Environment in Asia 1. Asia and the Future of the Global 2. From Swift Progress to Big Problems Environment Because in recent years Asia has been called the center of world economic growth, until now global attention fo­ Western social scientists used to regard Asia as a "stag­ cused on the region has regarded it solely as one of swift nant society," and, except for Japan, people have thought of progress. postwar Asia as a region that is typical of the continuing But while this East Asia-centered rapid economic "vicious circle of poverty." I growth gave Asia its momentum, industrialization and ur­ But in contrast to other developing regions, since the banization were causing environmental and urban problems latter half of the 1960s or 1970s South Korea, Taiwan, Hong throughout the region, as well as destroying rural communi­ Kong, and Singapore were the first to follow in Japan's foot­ ties and those countries' historical and cultural traditions. Front Matter....Pages ii-xiv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Accelerated Industrialization and Explosive Urbanization....Pages 3-8 The Accelerating Car Culture....Pages 9-18 Pollution and Health Damage....Pages 19-26 Conservation and Use of Biodiversity....Pages 27-35 Front Matter....Pages 37-37 Japan....Pages 39-51 Republic of Korea....Pages 53-62 Kingdom of Thailand....Pages 63-73 Malaysia....Pages 75-81 Republic of Indonesia....Pages 83-95 People’s Republic of China....Pages 97-107 Taiwan....Pages 109-119 Indicators....Pages 121-181 Back Matter....Pages 183-197