Haifeng Deng and Zhenwei Zhang, Eathipol Srisawaluck, Linda Yanti Sulistiawati, Koh Kheng-Lian
Anton Ming-Zhi Gao, Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Jonathan Liljeblad, Ritwick Dutta, Charito M. Macalintal-Sawali

This publication offers a curated collection of essays that arise out of the 2017 and 2018
meetings of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung’s (KAS) informal network of Asian Environmental
Lawyers. As the name indicates, this intergenerational group, which meets annually, is interested
in all issues relating to governing the environment and is a forum for members of the legal
fraternity from Asian to exchange experiences, best practices and ideas related to current and
emerging issues in environmental law and policy.
Before introducing the publication, as the Director of the Rule of Law Programme Asia, I
would also take this opportunity to briefly summarize in general the works of KAS specifically
the Rule of Law Programme. KAS is a German foundation which aims to promote democracy and
international co-operation and has been doing so, with considerable success, for more than 50
years. One of its core pillars is the KAS Rule of Law Programme, which has a truly global
dimension, with dedicated regional offices in Asia, Europe, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa
and Middle East/Northern Africa. The Asia regional office for the Rule of Law Programme Asia
is located in Singapore, though its activities involve and take place across the full panoply of the
countries that make up this region. By way of example, in 2018-19, the Rule of Law Programme
Asia organized events in Hong Kong, India, Japan, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea,
Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, on topics covering rule of law and religion, environmental law,
migration and refugee rights, constitutionalism and digital rights. The KAS Rule of Law
Programme Asia has managed to draw participants from all over the Asian region and the world.
The publication covers a variety of topics ranging from land use regulation, smart cities,
energy and indigenous people’s rights. All of these topics are relevant to the work of KAS given
that we are committed to the cause of sustainable development that takes into account
environmental protection. We also acknowledge the dangers that natural and man-made disasters
can bring to human societies. In pursuing this, KAS Berlin has established an office on Global
Resources Policy and its coordinator will reach out to our regional programmes focusing on
Environment, Energy Security and Climate Change in Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan
Africa by delivering programmes with a specific focus on environmental matters. read more

Skye Turner-Walker, is a doctoral researcher being hosted by the Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies from the Australian National University (ANU) Fenner School of Environment and Society, and ANU Climate Institute.

Skye’s professional career over more than 15 years has been in environment, climate and development issues across Australia and the Asia-Pacific for the United Nations and development agencies,  research institutes,  NGOs and government. Skye’s work has covered roles such as Climate Change Advisor to National Environment Directorates , Climate Change Specialist on UN programmes, Climate change and Disaster Risk Reduction Specialist, Project Formulation,  Research Associate and Coordinator of Asia-Pacific-wide climate change adaptation knowledge and research platforms, as well as project management across government environmental projects and programmes.  Skye holds a Bachelor of Social Science and Environment, and Masters in International Urban and Environmental Management. read more

Linda Yanti Sulistiawati 
Visiting fellow, Asia-Pacific Center for Environmental Law, National University of Singapore;
director, Center for Asia-Pacific Studies and associate professor of law, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.

Under its commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Indonesia is required to submit its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which detail the country’s plan to reduce emissions in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

In 2016, Indonesia outlined its first NDCs, which laid down very ambitious goals, with a voluntarily pledge to reduce emissions by 29 percent independently, or an emissions cut of up to 41 percent with international assistance. read more

Linda Yanti Sulistiawati is director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies and an associate professor of law at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), Yogyakarta. 
David K.Linnan is an associate professor of law at the University of South Carolina, the United States

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s recent victory speech indicated that infrastructure will once again be emphasized in his second term. Its role is as a tool to boost the country’s development, logistics and investment, particularly outside Java. So, why are we not celebrating more success in creating this badly needed infrastructure? We cited below some of the main reasons. read more