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Lorraine Elliott
Environmental degradation is one of the major challenges facing Southeast Asia in the twenty-first century. The ten Southeast Asian governments have committed themselves to a "clean and green" ASEAN by 2020. The goal is admirable but it will be difficult to attain. The Southeast Asian regional ecosystem is diverse. The obstacles are complex. The consequences of continued environmental decline, however, could be severe. Continued high rates of environmental decline and unsustainable development compromise economic growth, individual quality of life, social stability, and, potentially, regional security.
The salience of environmental change as a policy issue for Southeast Asian countries has increased since the early 1990s and environmental issues are now firmly entrenched on the regional political agenda. Events such as the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and...