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With their low lying, flat topography, river deltas and coastal plains are extremely prone to relative sea level rise and other water-related hazards. This calls for accurate elevation data for flood risk assessments, especially in the densely populated Southeast Asian deltas. However, in data-poor countries such as Myanmar, where high accuracy elevation data are not accessible, often only global satellite-based digital elevation models (DEMs), suffering from low vertical accuracy and remote sensing artefacts, can be used by the public and scientific community. As the lack of accurate elevation data hampers the assessment of flood risk, studying available information on land elevation and its reliability is essential, particularly in the context of sea level rise impact. Here, we assess the performance of 10 global DEMs in the Ayeyarwady Delta (Myanmar) against the new, local, so-called AD-DEM, which was generated based on topographical map elevation data. To enable comparison, all DEMs were converted to a common vertical datum tied to local sea level. While both CoastalDEM v2.1 (Kulp and Strauss, 2021) and FABDEM (Hawker et al., 2022) perform comparably well, showing the highest correspondence in comparison with AD-DEM and low-elevation spot heights, FABDEM outperforms CoastalDEM v2.1 by the absence of remote sensing artefacts. The AD-DEM provides a high-accuracy, open and freely available, and independent elevation dataset suitable for evaluating land elevation data in the Ayeyarwady Delta and studying topography and flood risk at large scale, while small-scale investigations may benefit from a FABDEM locally improved with data from the AD-DEM. Based on the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of sea level rise, the consequences of DEM selection for assessing the impact of sea level rise in the Ayeyarwady Delta are shown. We highlight the need for addressing particularly low-lying populated areas within the most seaward districts with risk mitigation and adaptation strategies while also the more inland delta population should be made aware of facing a higher risk of flooding due to relative sea level rise in the next ∼ 100 years.

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 134 (2015): ASIEN (Januar)

Rapid urbanization in Africa and Asia is currently changing environmental and societal living conditions for a large number of people. In urban India specifically, the deterioration of local natural environments, the inadequate provision of infrastructure, and socioeconomic disparities are collectively resulting in a “double burden” of disease — namely, high morbidity from both communicable diseases and from environment- and lifestyle-related non-communicable ones non-communicable ones. Using the example of Pune, the paper illustrates intra-urban differences in health status and access to healthcare by analyzing: a) the prevalence of diabetes and associated risk factors and b) access to healthcare services. The analysis of the prevalence of diabetes among different socioeconomic groups reveals that although the disease is currently still more common among the more affluent members of the Indian population, those from poorer backgrounds are also now demonstrating an increasing susceptibility to it due to recent changes in their behavioral choices. The course of the disease also differs across social levels, with a much higher number of complications and comorbidities being found among the lower socioeconomic groups. One reason for this lies in the major disparities that exist in access to adequate healthcare services. Pune's healthcare system is scarcely able to meet the challenge posed by a growth in population occurring alongside simultaneous changes in local epidemiological patterns. Major barriers to healthcare access exist in terms of affordability and awareness. These intra-urban differences in exposure to health risks and the varied ability to cope with ill health are now resulting in an epidemiological diversification within Indian urban society. Targeted interventions aimed at different social levels are thus needed if the urban health situation in India is to improve., Asien, Nr. 134 (2015): ASIEN (Januar)

The attractiveness of cities and their national and international competitiveness are partly determined by “soft” and “intangible" factors: cultural, social, and individual aspects are becoming the basis for the “unique competitive edge” that cities have and play a crucial role with regard to the creation of identity. In Delhi, every epoch of the city’s rich history has left its traces, and the Indian capital has numerous monuments, gardens, historic areas, and ancient buildings as a result. Affected by globalization and urbanization, Delhi has been increasingly turning into a globalized metropolis, which has had a major impact on its urban fabric. Framed against the backdrop of the changing concepts and perception of urban heritage, this article focuses on the question of how Delhi’s unique urban heritage should be safeguarded. The responsibility for this task does not lie with the authorities alone, but is embedded in the complex structure of public, private, individual, and collective stakeholders acting at different levels with their respective interests. These diverse stakeholders act within the scope of a differentiated set of rules and legislation. Thus, safeguarding urban heritage and integrating it into the urban planning process requires laws and regulations specifically relevant to cultural heritage and not just planning instruments. The institutional and legal framework of heritage protection in Delhi, its implementation, and the complex challenges that go with this are investigated., Asien, Nr. 134 (2015): ASIEN (Januar)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 96 (2005): ASIEN (Juli)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 97 (2005): ASIEN (Oktober)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 97 (2005): ASIEN (Oktober)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 74 (2000): ASIEN (Januar)

The article focuses on the research topics and emphasis of Germany Geographical Research on South East Asia and is also to be seen as contribution to the recent discussion on the role and importance of Asian Sciences at German universities. The article describes the main topics of the past 50 years of research and outlines the desiderata of future geographical research. The main aims of geographical research lie in the integrative view and analysis of the relationship between the potentials of different physical landscapes and different human and cultural activities, including the combination of the perspectives and methods of both natural and societal sciences through exploratory fieldwork overseas. The chief-desiderata for the future lies in the fields of a) continuous destruction and devastation of human environments, b) the ecological consequences of settlement and the "green revolution", c) the growing scarcity of water resources, d) environmental hazards, e) increasing migration, and population dynamics, f) deficits in health services, g) socially disadvantaged and deprived population groups, h) growing regional and socio-econonomic disparities, g) growing urbanization and the problem of governability, h) sustainable rural development and resource usage, i) transformation processes,j) the processes of and solutions for the Asian crisis, k.) national and international conflict and cooperation patterns as well as I) the problems of modern regional planning for the developing peripheries of the relevant countries, including adequate decentralization and deconcentration processes., ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 74 (2000): ASIEN (Januar)

Asien, Nr. 139 (2016): ASIEN (April)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 141 (2016): ASIEN (Oktober)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 127 (2013): ASIEN (April)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 108 (2008): ASIEN (Juli)

ASIEN: The German Journal on Contemporary Asia, Nr. 105 (2007): ASIEN (Oktober)

Asien, Nr. 103 (2007): ASIEN (April)