Environment and development in a resource-rich economy

About this book

This volume is the outcome of a collaborative research project conducted by the Harvard Institute for International Development and the Malaysian Institute of Strategic and International Studies. It represents the first comprehensive economic analysis of the interrelationships among natural resources, environment, and development in Malaysia, which is one of the world's most resource-rich and most rapidly industrializing countries. The book focuses on the New Economic Policy period of the 1970s and 1980s. This was a period of profound socioeconomic changes, rapid depletion of natural resources, and the emergence of serious air and water pollution problems. The volume uses economic concepts and methods to identify the causes of natural resource and environmental problems, to gauge their seriousness, and to formulate recommendations for policy responses. It is intended for both research and policy audiences, as well as for students.