The papers published in this special issue of the Asia-Pacific Population Journal were presented at the international conference ?Population and Development in Asia: Critical Issues for a Sustainable Future?, held from 20 to 22 March 2006 in Phuket, Thailand. The panel on ?Ageing and Development? was one of the 10 panels.This book examines the future surge in Asian families. Because of older adults in these societies will have higher levels of education and standards of living, there are some concerns that traditional support for elderly may fade. Therefore, promoting active ageing may be one important means to reduce the dependence of older persons on the younger population.Rapid population ageing in Asia is accompanied by rapid changes in socio-economic and political developments. This will in turn affect living arrangements of older persons while family has traditionally been the pillar of support for this segment of the population in Asia, some studies have shown that modernization and urbanization tend to affect the level and quality o f this familial support.