On the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, many rural communities have traditionally practised agroforestry to support subsistence and semi-commercial livelihoods. Yet as rural livelihoods evolve in association with new contexts, land areas under agroforestry cultivation are increasingly declining. The factors shaping the changing livelihood patterns of these communities are myriad. Livelihoods are forged in dynamic socioeconomic arenas that are responsive to and shaped by a complex web of macro processes, delineations of the physical environment, and embedded practice.

Hydropower development in the Mekong region serves as a critical case study for examining the role and limitations of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in transboundary contexts. Although SEA is designed to integrate social and environmental considerations into policy-making, its effectiveness is often hampered by political realities and the dominant drive for economic growth.

Measuring happiness as a marker of social progress redefines how we evaluate development, moving beyond traditional economic metrics like GDP and GNP that ignore vital aspects of well-being such as mental health, human rights, and environmental sustainability. Despite methodological challenges due to its subjective and culturally varied nature, the pursuit of happiness measurement is gaining momentum in policy planning. Surveys often grapple with reliability and bias, yet innovative indexes like the Human Development Index and Bhutan's Gross National Happiness offer a more holistic perspective by integrating diverse indicators. Though imperfect, these metrics provide crucial insights, advocating for a broader, more inclusive vision of human progress and inspiring transformative policy decisions.

In post-colonial Malaysia, nation-building and globalisation have significantly impacted traditional and minority communities, particularly the Indigenous Orang Asli. The Orang Asli, comprising 19 ethnically distinct groups, have faced socio-economic dispossession due to modernisation and global capitalism. The landmark 2002 Sagong Tasi case, where the Malaysian High Court recognised Orang Asli land rights, illustrates their struggle for identity and rights within the modern nation-state framework. Historically marginalised and considered impediments to development, the Orang Asli have leveraged local and international legal frameworks to assert their Indigenous identity, moving from externally imposed labels to self-defined identity and rights. Despite this, their empowerment remains constrained by state structures, highlighting the ongoing challenges in achieving genuine self-determination and inclusion.