New Books from UNU Press
Climate Change and Global Sustainability: A Holistic Approach
Edited by Akimasa Sumi, Nobuo Mimura and Toshihiko Masui
Climate change owing to global warming is a paramount concern for society in the twenty-first century, and it is not an issue that can be solved by individual academic or scientific disciplines working in isolation. Because climate change involves a wide range of interlinked problems, solutions must be pursued in an interdisciplinary manner. This book adopts just such a holistic approach in examining various aspects of global warming, and offers readers a comprehensive overview. Read more...
Designing Our Future: Perspectives on Bioproduction, Ecosystems and Humanity
Edited by Mitsuru Osaki, Ademola K. Braimoh and Ken 'ichi Nakagami
This volume focuses primarily on society at the local and regional levels and on a scenario in which human beings coexist harmoniously with nature. This ideal society is examined in terms of the relationship between villages or towns and their natural environment and how these villages and towns can achieve local or regional independence in the face of pressures toward centralization and globalization. This requires both food and energy independence; hence farms, villages and towns must have access to natural renewable energy and material circulation systems. There also needs to be a system to facilitate collaboration among the various elements. To enable communities to retain their autonomy in the long term, public awareness of the importance of fostering local cultures and traditions is vital. Cultural independence demands that local ways of thinking be steered away from the "plunder nature" model toward "coexistence with nature". With economic globalization spearheading a trend toward standardization and uniformity in human values, this book highlights the importance of developing a society in harmony with nature through the networking of diverse communities to promote and achieve local independence. Read more...
Engaging Civil Society: Emerging Trends in Democratic Governance
Edited by G. Shabbir Cheema and Vesselin Popovski
This book attempts to examine the changing roles of civil society in global and national governance. It identifies factors that influence the effectiveness of civil society in promoting democratic governance. It asks: To what extent and how has the global civil society been influencing global governance and democratic change? What have been the patterns of growth of civil society in Asia and Africa including the legal frameworks under which CSOs are established? What are the capacity gaps of the civil society vis-à-vis its assumed roles? What are the mechanisms for the horizontal and vertical accountability of civil society? How and with what effect has civil society been engaged in promoting democratic change and inclusive governance? Read more...
Building Trust in Government: Innovations in Governance Reform in Asia
Edited by G. Shabbir Cheema and Vesselin Popovski
This book seeks to answer many of the questions raised in reference to means of strengthening trust in government within the Asia Pacific region. Through analyses of trends within North-East Asia, South-East Asia, South Asia and the Pacific Islands and specific innovations and reforms at the country level, the contributors have provided various perspectives on the causes of the decline in trust, countries and institutions that have managed to maintain higher degrees of confidence, and governance innovations and practices that have played an important role in strengthening trust once it has faltered. Read more...
Political Violence in South and Southeast Asia: Critical Perspectives
Edited by Itty Abraham, Edward Newman and Meredith L. Weiss
Political Violence in South and Southeast Asia brings together political scientists and anthropologists with intimate knowledge of the politics and society of these regions, from different academic backgrounds, who present unique perspectives on topics including assassinations, riots, state violence, the significance of geographic borders, external influences and intervention, and patterns of recruitment and rebellion. Read more...
The Future of International Environmental Law
Edited by David Leary and Balakrishna Pisupati
The book tackles the major environmental challenges of our times including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and overfishing of the oceans. It examines what we can learn from our experience gained in implementing the vast body of existing international environmental law over the past few decades. It also looks to the future and considers a range of emerging issues such as the management of the environmental challenges faced by the Arctic, nanotechnology, biofuels and synthetic genomics amongst others. Read more...
Traditional Knowledge in Policy and Practice: Approaches to Development and Human Well-being
Edited by Suneetha M. Subramanian and Balakrishna Pisupati
This book focuses on the relevance of TK to key environment- and development-related sectors, discusses the current debates within each of these sectors and presents suggestions as to how TK can be effectively integrated with conventional science and policy. A valuable resource to researchers, academics and policymakers, Traditional knowledge in policy and practice provides a comprehensive overview of TK, and its links and contributions to social, economic, environmental, ethical and political issues. Read more...
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Page last modified 2019.04.16.
