Publications

Highland regions in Thailand are increasingly vulnerable to climate change due to rapid land-use transitions, environmental degradation, and shifting socio-economic conditions. This Discussion Papaer examines the drivers and dimensions of vulnerability in the Thai highlands, with particular attention to the expansion of maize cultivation and...

Inadequate national implementation efforts, particularly policies and budgets, could be an important reason why the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are off track. Identification and assessment of policies and budgets should be a major focus of the SDG follow-up and review process, especially the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), to strengthen...

This study provides an indicative comparative assessment of the factors underlying these challenges by examining policy content, regulatory enforcement, and institutional capacity related to OWB across ten selected Asian countries: Cambodia, China, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand. The researchers employed a...

In October 2025, an extraordinary session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee was held. Negotiations took place on a draft amendment to the Convention aimed at achieving the international target of ‘GHG emissions from international shipping by around 2050’. Japan has been co-sponsoring the proposal alongside Europe and leading the...

Plastic pollution has emerged as a critical global challenge, with the ASEAN+3 region identified as a major hotspot due to high emission levels and persistent gaps in waste management systems. This handbook offers a comprehensive, evidence-based overview for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, presented in two main parts. Part I provides...

Single-use plastics (SUPs) have become one of the most pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the world, contributing significantly to the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity, climate change, and pollution (Schmidt et al., 2024). While many governments have developed a range of policy solutions to the problem of SUPs –...

As plastics are utilised in a broad range of sectors, there are various kinds of plastic pollution sources. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report assessing marine litter and plastic pollution identified major land-based pollution sources to the ocean (UNEP, 2021). While landfills are regarded as one of the major sources, other...

In recent years, plastic pollution has emerged as a growing threat around the globe. The gravity of this issue called for negotiations on an international legally binding instrument. As an area that is heavily influenced by and reliant on its marine resources, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region views plastic pollution as a...

The environmental impact of plastics on the natural environment has been frequently discussed over the past decade (Cottom, Cook, and Velis, 2024; Jambeck et al., 2015). A discussion at the World Economic Forum in 2016 sparked a global debate and prompted a call for action on plastics as well as research to address the projected increase in plastic...

In March 2022, during the resumed fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2), Resolution 5/14 was adopted, initiating efforts to develop an international legally binding instrument to address plastic pollution, including pollution of the marine environment. This resolution resulted in the formation of the Intergovernmental...