Southeast Asia is undergoing a major transformation both economically and socially. This transformation has been largely through the initiatives of villages, communities and governments. Additionally, international aid and development funding is responsible for much of the innovation in sustainable community development in the region. However, such developments are a challenge for the region, with some organisations withdrawing from long-term projects because they have reached their conclusion. This is not to say that the role of these organisations is complete, far from it. There is much work to do yet.

Growing Sustainable Communities: Research and Professional Practice, A Development Guide for Southeast Asia brings together existing findings from current and completed projects that can be used as case studies for future projects and to also educate up-and-coming community development practitioners in Southeast Asia.

The purpose of this book is to present a practical, yet academically sound, manual for community development practitioners, NGOs and community groups undertaking projects related to developing sustainable lifestyles in Southeast Asia. It looks at the existing knowledge of what activities have already been undertaken in Southeast Asia, reviewing case studies of successful projects with an aim to summarise these into a set of clear `key learnings'. In turn, these will be translated into a clearly organised set of guidelines for future projects in Southeast Asia.