ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the main findings based on the comparative analysis of the three broad sectors in regional environmental cooperation, in responding to the initial inquiry of this book: “How far, for what motivations, and under what circumstances do major players in Northeast Asia choose to cooperate?” The findings suggest that, although the countries in the region have kept developing certain degrees and forms of cooperation, as motivations change so do patterns, agenda and leadership influenced by a mixture of other intra-regional and exogenous factors. It argues that previously considered regional barriers and challenges imply that there are also high chances of further cooperation. To sum up, regionalism multiplies effects that can be generated by the structural interactions between the three pillars of regional environmental affairs discussed in Chapter 2, “(re-)securitization, development, and environmentalism.” Fundamental limitations remain due to the region’s thin and fragmented practice of cooperation. Overall, the stage of achieving region-wide harmonization for synergetic effects remains rather low across the environmental fields under this study.
