CVPED also facilitates ongoing research projects.

The year 2001 saw the start of the SEAtrans project. Southeast Asia in Transition (SEAtrans) is an interdisciplinary research project that aims at studying the dynamics and processes of transitions in society-nature interactions currently visible in Southeast Asian societies.

The project is a joint effort of 10 partners located both in the region of Southeast Asia (6) and in Europe (4). National and micro-level studies in 4 Southeast Asian countries (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and the Philippines) will provide an in-depth picture of recent social, economic, and ecological processes in the region.

The main aim of the project is to identify and recommend effective policies to promote sustainable, environmentally sound economic and social development in Southeast Asian economies. A general description of the research project can be found on www.seatrans.net.

The micro-level research in the Philippines is taking place within the scope of CVPED. The goal is to study changes in material and energy flows over time in three villages, selected along a transition gradient on basis of their incorporation in the market economy.

Three different methodologies were combined:

(1) the Material and Energy Flow Analysis (MFA/EFA),
(2) the Action in Context (AiC) and
(3) the Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA).

The research team consisted of three researchers, supported by a student researcher:

· Orlando Balderama, Micro-level researcher MFA/EFA
· Liesbeth Denis, Micro-level researcher MFA/EFA
· Marieke Hobbes, Micro level researcher AiC
· Sietske Veenman, Student researcher AiC

The long-standing partnership and ample experiences in intercultural research teams of CVPED has highly facilitated the research process of SEAtrans.