Southeast Asian countries are among the nations most vulnerable to climate change. Yet many parts of the region are economically dependent on resource extraction and cash-cropping, both of which exacerbate climate change and environmental degradation. Across the region, damaging storms, worse floods and droughts, ever-rising sea levels, higher temperatures and shifting rain patterns all negatively impact on crop yields, biodiversity, forests, coastlines, availability of clean water and so on. Southeast Asian forests house some of the world’s most striking tropical biodiversity, while the surrounding oceans contain unique life forms. Yet deforestation, water and air pollution, invasive species, poaching and urban sprawl mean that many native animals and plants are now endangered or critically endangered. History is important. During the colonial period, there was intense competition between global powers to appropriate the natural resources of Southeast Asia. Today, there is a growing ‘green’ consciousness frequently generated from below, and often incorporating distinctive spiritual and cultural traditions. In researching that nexus, social scientists are creating new knowledge that advances interpretive paradigms for understanding ecological crisis, environmental struggle and problem-solving.