Sustainability issues and matters involving the conservation of biodiversity are no longer new subjects for environmental policy. Nevertheless, they are of continuing interest, there are always new dimensions to consider and unresolved questions remain. In fact, it may only be now that we are...

China has experienced outstanding economic growth in recent decades, but not without environmental problems and costs. Environmental costs have included increased air and water pollution, loss of natural vegetation cover and deforestation, soil erosion and a decline in the fertility of the soil...

There has been much discussion of sustainable tourism and there is in fact an international academic journal entitled Sustainable Tourism. However, there appear to be few, if any, rigorous definitions of the concept of sustainable tourism. This is unfortunate because without clear concepts...

Brings attention to recent environmental policy documents which have been released in China such as China’s Agenda 21 which is a white paper outlining policies to achieve sustainable developing in China. Another important recent document is China: Biodiversity Conservation Plan. It identifies...

The prosperity achieved by developing countries in South East and East Asia as well as in many other parts of the developing world, would have been unthinkable fifty years ago. The significant rise in standard and quality of life of the citizens of these countries cannot be explained by their...

This paper stresses the importance of community-based forestry for the conservation of natural resources and alleviation of poverty in upland Yunnan. In contrast with state-managed forests, which account for the bulk of forested land in many countries, including China, community-based forestry...

The State Council has adopted Agenda 21 for China and biodiversity conservation as one plank of this agenda for China's sustainable development. This paper offers a brief discussion of China's White Paper on Agenda 21 and examines as a case study the problem of sustaining biological diversity in...

Tourism is growing rapidly in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture located in southern Yunnan. Tourism is now regarded as a leading industry in the development of this Prefecture. This paper outlines the nature and pattern of development of tourism in Xishuangbanna Prefecture. Features of...

This paper describes a Choice Modelling experiment set up to investigate the relationship between distance and willingness to pay for environmental quality changes. The issue is important for the estimation and transfer of benefits. The Choice Modelling experiment allows testing distance effects...

A forestry industry based on the native Darwin stringybark forests of Cape York Peninsula has been identified as a potential generator of employment and income for Wik people. Information appropriate for examining potential Wik timber utilisation strategies is scarce, necessitating primary data...