ABSTRACT
Asia has experienced rapid development and urbanization in the last half of the 20th century. The transformations have reached unprecedented scales. Many indicators have been used to demonstrate the improvement in overall human well-being, notably those advancements related to income, longevity and some health measures, but this only tells part of the story. The great transformations now in process have been accompanied by both local and global challenges to environmental sustainable development. Moreover, there are indications that the challenges will increase in intensity into the future. It is crucially important to identify the dynamics underlying these developments and point to policies that could begin to address their impacts.
