This volume features a set of distinct, compelling, and intentionally disparate case studies that shed much needed attention on the varied ways in which local cultural, social, and political dynamics inform and mitigate the veritable roadmap toward palpable and meaningful progress with respect to enabling the goals of environmental sustainability. The volume includes contributions from notable academics - including some based in Southeast Asia - with 'on the ground experience,' and thus they bring a much more nuanced and locally informed orientation to their respective contributions.

In 1990, the Malaysian state of Johor - along with Singapore and the Indonesian island of Batam - launched the Growth Triangle to attract foreign direct investment. For Johor, this drive was very successful, transforming its economy and driving up income levels. Today, Johor is one of Malaysia's 'developed' states, housing large clusters of electrical and electronics, food processing, and furniture producing firms.These economic and social changes have also had political ramifications. While Johor is a bastion of two of the country's oldest and most established political parties, the state's large, urban and connected electorate has made it hospitable terrain for new political organisations. Beyond electoral politics, Johor is also the home of a powerful and influential royal family, with very specific ideas about its role in the state's political life. Building upon earlier work by the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute on the Singapore-Johor-Riau Islands Cross-Border Region, this book focuses on this important Malaysian state, as it deals with important domestic challenges on one hand and strives to engage with international markets on the other.