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Deforesting Malaysia

The Political Economy and Social Ecology of Agricultural Expansion and Commercial Logging

Jomo KS author Chang Y T author Khoo K J author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Published:19th Apr '04

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Deforesting Malaysia cover

This study of deforestation in three Southeast Asian regions - Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak - examines the different factors which shape them, the institutions and policies which determine forestry development, the ecological impact of deforestation and sustainability.

Deforesting Malaysia: The Political Economy and Social Ecology of Agricultural Expansion and Commercial Logging critically examines the major economic, political and social forces responsible for deforestation in Malaysia. It carefully distinguishes among the three major regions of the country, namely Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, not only in recognition of the ecological variation of equatorial Malaysia, but also of the different economic, political and social dynamics involved. Originally commissioned by UNRISD, the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development, this volume primarily considers the role of agricultural expansion in deforestation. In recent decades after independence, however, commercial logging has greatly increased in significance, exacerbated by the complex dynamics of Malaysian federal-state fiscal relations, 'money politics', 'cronyism' and international demand for tropical timber. A large team of contributors to the research that went into the volume supported the principal authors.

'.....a welcome addition..the case studies (in the book) add to the existing literature on the challenges of economic development and sustainability in developmentalist and developing contexts, providing students, researchers, and international development specialists with a grounded overview of how development policies could pan out on meeting with local contingent realities.' Claudio O. Delang, Kyoto University, Japan '..a welcome addition to the literature on environment and development. The main value of this book is the rich empirical data and analysis that are presented on agricultural and forest (mis)-management in Malaysia. The book will appeal to readers keen to understand how Malaysia has navigated the environment/ economics/ politics tradeoffs that bedevil many states around the world today. It should also be of interest to a wider audience given the political and environmental importance of Malaysia itself in the field of environment and development.' R. L. Bryant, Kings College London 'A very timely book examining the impact of agricultural expansion schemes and commercial logging on deforestation in Malaysia...the authors have presented a more balanced view of shifting cultivation and have highlighted that such cultivation can be ecologically friendly...Overall, a very laudable attempt by the various authors involved.' ASEAN Economic Bulletin, December 2005

ISBN: 9781842774663

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

304 pages