Routledge Handbook of the Environment in Southeast Asia ed. by Philip Hirsch (review)

Contemporary Southeast Asia Vol. 39, No. 2 (2017), pp. 402–5 DOI: 10.1355/cs39-2i © 2017 ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute ISSN 0129-797X print / ISSN 1793-284X electronic Routledge Handbook of the Environment in Southeast Asia. Edited by Philip Hirsch. London and New York: Routledge, 2017. Hardcover: 521pp. Philip Hirsch’s edited volume provides an incisive and comprehensive examination of the complex environmental challenges facing Southeast Asia, one of the world’s most economically, demographically and ecologically diverse and dynamic regions in the world. The book comprises thirty chapters in total, each interesting in its own right and each showing how thinking and writing about the environment vary depending on the author’s disciplinary background, and ideological and political stance. In Part 1, the introductory chapter by Hirsch sets out the premise of the book and what readers can expect from each chapter. The next ten chapters have thematic slants (Part 2), eight focus on sectoral issues (Part 3) and twelve on regional and country studies (Part 4) The section on themes includes chapters on physical geography, population and economic change, environmental movements, legal and governance issues, and political mobilization. It illustrates how an environmental story can evolve from a theme or a conceptual angle, often constructed imaginatively, and framed around historical, contemporary and future challenges. In chapter two, Avijit Gupta looks at the physical geography of Southeast Asia and how it has changed over time. How population trends and economic development affect the environment is examined in chapter three by Peter Boomsgard. In chapter four, Rodolphe De Koninck and Pham Thanh Hai examine the link between population growth and deforestation. Environmentalism, which serves as a potent political force driving change in Southeast Asia, is discussed by...