This paper critically examines current ecological development planning and practice in China through an environmental microhistory approach. By tracing the gradual disappearance of an indigenous plant – the common reed ( Phragmites australis) – on Chongming Island in Shanghai, which is known for the grand Eco-Islands development plan, this paper reveals the paradox of ecological destruction through eco-development in China. Based on data collected from archives, through oral history and through on-site fieldwork, we have reconstructed and analysed the transformation of Chongming Island’s reed ecology over time. Our research documents the historical importance of reeds to Chongming culture and identity. The transformation of the reed landscape mirrors, we argue, broader environmental and social transformations on the island. The near extinction of the once abundant reed in the coastal wetlands due to massive land reclamation projects for the purpose of industrialisation and urbanisation is a reflection of the prevailing pursuit for economic growth. Land reclamation projects in the early 2000s were facilitated by the planting of an invasive grass that replaced reeds and other native wetland plants. Ironically, the invasive grass served to legitimise continuous land reclamation as part of Chongming’s eco-development. Moreover, reeds that grew by the rivers and constituted a central part of local livelihoods were gradually wiped out as a result of a series of river regulation projects under the eco-development. Our research reveals that the current ecological agenda has privileged modern engineering solutions and aesthetics while largely ignoring local traditional knowledge. The case of Chongming delivers a sobering message that well-intentioned ecological initiatives can in fact have disastrous effects if the local environment, its ecological features, cultural characteristics, and historical and social contexts are not fully considered. Overall, this paper pioneers an environmental microhistory approach in evaluating contemporary urban ecological initiatives and contributes methodological and empirical insights to advance Chinese eco-developments.

Natural catastrophes are not just sudden events; they are also embedded in historical patterns of vulnerability and resilience. In modern societies, risk is one of the most important principles applied to the challenges that natural hazards pose and insurance is an ever more important tool of risk management. The contributions to this special issue of Environment and History all stress the fact, however, that environmental risk is not simply a phenomenon 'out there' but the result of social, scientific, economic and cultural processes. They also illustrate that the understanding of risk varies over time.

This article provides the first international overview and detailed discussion of teaching in the environmental humanities (EH). It is divided into three parts. The first offers a series of regional overviews: where, when, and how EH teaching is taking place. This part highlights some key regional variability in the uptake of teaching in this area, emphasizing important differences in cultural and pedagogical contexts. The second part is a critical engagement with some of the key challenges and opportunities that are emerging in EH teaching, centering on how the field is being defined, shared concepts and ideas, interdisciplinary pedagogies, and the centrality of experimental and public-facing approaches to teaching. The final part of the article offers six brief summaries of experimental pedagogies from our authorship team that aim to give a concrete sense of EH teaching in practice.

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