I am both pleased and honored to introduce this book to readers, and I want to take a few moments to explain why. Michael Romanos and Christopher Auffrey have produced a volume which will be of immense value to several different types of people. Planners and other specialists concerned with the development of the Southeast Asian region and the issues and opportunities associated with urban growth and sustainable development will find much to interest them in this book. But the book, I believe, has much wider appeal, and that is what I want to touch on briefly here. The University of Cincinnati, where Michael, Chris, and I work, is attempting to globalize itself - to develop its institutional capacity for international activities, to infuse its curriculum with international themes, and to promote and increase global competence among its graduates. Many American universities are doing this, of course. In the process, we are seeing some very interesting experiments in pedagogy, as faculty look for "learning moments" in new and sometimes exotic places. Michael, Chris, and their colleagues have, it seems to me, developed an outstanding model for learning across national and cultural boundaries. In the chapters which follow, you will read the results of their work. What will be less apparent, however, is the process by which that work was produced.

This book is for practising professionals and academics working in urban planning and international development: international project staff, trainers, urban development researchers and teaching staff in universities and polytechnics. Solid Waste Management and Recycling is unique in that it: -utilizes an 'integrated solid waste management perspective' in its analysis; -provides embedded case study data; -deals with both formal and informal actors and institutional arrangements in solid waste management and recycling; -has chapters written by experts from the countries concerned (Kenya and India); -can be used in graduate-level courses in urban development, urban management and planning, and technical engineering courses for students, project staff, and technical students.

This book focuses on how to improve the quality management of official statistics in China. Official statistics help to build an overview of China’s social and economic development and play an important role in policymaking for government as well as in decision-making for enterprises. Because of the great value in reference, the quality of official statistics also constitutes the concern from the public. This book summarizes three levels for understanding the concept of the quality of official statistics and analyzes possible affections from social and economic environment, political and management perspectives. Government statistical data is an important information reflecting China’s economic and social development, an important tool for Party committees at all levels, governments, enterprises and the public to understand and grasp China’s economic operation and social development, an important basis for Party committees and governments at all levels to conduct economic and social management and decision-making and an important reference for enterprises and the public to make decisions on production, operation, investment and consumption. Therefore, the government, enterprises and the public at all levels are demanding more and more government statistics. Accordingly, the quality of government statistical data is becoming more and more important, because it concerns the objectivity and accuracy of government statistical data, the scientificity of economic and social management, the decision-making of Party committees, the correctness of production, operation, investment and consumption decisions of enterprises and the public. Therefore, the quality of government statistical data is extremely important, which is not only the focus of social concern, but also the core issue of government statistics.

Against the background of colonial and postcolonial experiences, this volume shows that power relations and stereotypes embedded in the original Western idea of a national park are a continuing reality of contemporary national and transnational parks. The volume seeks to dispel the myth that colonial beliefs and practices in protected areas have ended with the introduction of ‘new’ nature conservation policies and practices. It explores this continuity against the backdrop of the development of the national park idea in the West, and its trajectories in colonial and postcolonial societies, particularly southern Africa. This volume analyses the dynamic relations between people and national parks and assesses these in southern Africa against broader experiences in postcolonial societies. It draws examples from a broad range of situations and places. It reinserts issues of prejudices into contemporary national park systems, and accounts for continuities and interruptions in national parks ideals in different contexts. Its interpretation of material transcends the North-South divide. This volume is accessible to readers from different academic backgrounds. It is of special interest to academics, policymakers and Non-Governmental Organisations. This book can also be used as prescribed or reference material in courses taught at university.