Balancing Trade Growth and Environmental Protection in ASEAN

The report examines the tension between trade growth and environmental sustainability in the Mekong subregion, noting that environmental protections often take a backseat to industrialization and that regional efforts to balance these interests have seen little effectiveness.

• Trade liberalization programs driven by WTO and ASEAN membership, alongside illegal trade in timber and wildlife, are increasing pressure on the environmental sustainability of the Mekong subregion.
• Environmental protection and sustainable resource use are frequently deprioritized during industrialization, and multilateral efforts by the Mekong River Commission and the Asian Development Bank-GMS program have shown little evidence of effectiveness in balancing economic and environmental interests.
• Low intergovernmental commitment to environmental sustainability in trade and investment is attributed to a lack of societal pressure, with most policy initiatives being driven by foreign donors rather than regional ownership.

APA

Dosch,, J. (2010). Balancing Trade Growth and Environmental Protection in ASEAN. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/balancing-trade-growth-and-environmental-protection-asean-environmental-issues

Chicago

Dosch,, Jörn. Balancing Trade Growth and Environmental Protection in ASEAN. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/balancing-trade-growth-and-environmental-protection-asean-environmental-issues.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dosch, |first1=Jörn |title=Balancing Trade Growth and Environmental Protection in ASEAN |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=13 July 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/balancing-trade-growth-and-environmental-protection-asean-environmental-issues |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dosch2010balancing, author = {Dosch,, Jörn}, title = {{Balancing Trade Growth and Environmental Protection in ASEAN}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/balancing-trade-growth-and-environmental-protection-asean-environmental-issues}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }