APRU handbook analyses sustainable challenges in Pacific Rim

The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim features contributions from 128 leading scholars from Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Singapore in the region, plus experts from the US, Canada, Belgium and Israel.

The handbook examines the connection between cities and surrounding landscapes, environmental and development inequities, and the growing impacts of climate change.

By 2050, urban areas will account for nearly two-thirds of the global population and create three-quarters of the world’s emissions. APRU says we need to better understand the connections between cities and their surrounding ecology. 

In the Pacific Rim, which is rapidly urbanising, sustainability issues include supplying adequate food, water and energy, while preserving vulnerable populations and ecosystems.

“This handbook is very much needed, given that much of the scholarly output on sustainable development to date has been developed in Europe and focuses on settings external to the fastest growing areas of the world, such as the coastal regions of the Asia Pacific,” said Dr Christopher Tremewan, Secretary General of APRU.

APRU addresses climate change, diversity, inclusion

A network of 60 universities, APRU brings together thought leaders, researchers, and policy-makers to exchange ideas and collaborate on effective solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. Strategic priorities focus on providing a platform for policy dialogue, taking actions on climate change, and supporting diversity, inclusion, and minorities. 

APRU’s primary activities focus on areas including women in leadership, indigenous knowledge, population ageing, global health, sustainable cities, artificial intelligence, waste management, and more.

The handbook’s content is informed by annual Sustainable Cities and Landscapes (SCL) conferences in 2018, 2019, and 2020. 

“The book’s editors and section editors have meticulously curated contributions from an international range of researchers investigating key issues facing regions and cities in the Pacific Rim,” she added.

The Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Cities and Landscapes in the Pacific Rim is available from 9 March.