Introduction: Launching the Era of Global Environmental Governance from Asia -- Introduction: Launching the Era of Global Environmental Governance from Asia -- Asia by Theme -- Military Impacts on the Environment: Working Toward the Century of Peace and Environmental Progress -- Trade and the Environment: Promoting Environmentally Friendly Trade -- Food, Farming and the Environment: The Development of Sustainable Agriculture -- Forest and Rice Paddy Biodiversity: Working Toward Comprehensive Management Based on Community Participation -- Asia by Country and Region -- Northeast Asia: Region Building Based on Environmental Cooperation -- The Mekong Region: Incorporating the Views of Regional Civil Society -- Inner Asia: Balancing the Environment with Socioeconomic Development -- Country/Region Updates -- Data and Commentary -- Economic Inequality, Poverty and Human Development. This book is the third in the NGO-oriented series Ajia Kankyo Hakusho ("Asia Environment White Paper"). In December 1997 we pubUshed the Japanese original of the first book in this series, and the second appeared in October 2000. Our greatest encouragement over this period of time was the enthusiastic reception for the series from a broad spectrum of people. So far the first book has been through seven printings, and the second through four. Further, the Engli- language books based on these two volumes-The State of the Environment in Asia 1999/2000 and The State of the Environment in Asia 2002/2003 (pubUshed by Springer-Verlag, Tokyo)-have both had two printings, and are attracting interest not only in Asia, but also among international institutions, NGOs in the West, and other parties around the world. This third volume has the same three-part arrangement as the first two in the series, but also includes some new experimental editorial innovations throughout the book. First, Asia by Theme consciously addresses some crucial themes that must be taken into account when considering Asia's environmental problems in the 21st century, and in an anticipatory fashion it somewhat boldly proposes the challenges Asia will face in this century. Its four chapters cover military impacts on the environment, the environment and trade, agriculture/food and the environment, and the biodiversity of forests and rice paddies.