Articles Category: Disaster Management

Malaysia takes centre stage as it assumed the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, marking a pivotal year for regional leadership and collaboration. The much-anticipated ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2025 is one of the year’s flagship events, scheduled from 15 to 2

In a significant move that underscores Southeast Asia’s commitment to sustainable tourism, the ASEAN Ecotourism Standard (AECOS) has been officially endorsed at the 44th and 45th ASEAN Summits under the leadership of Lao PDR, chaired by Sonexay Siphand

As the world came together to celebrate World Tourism Day on 27th September, the theme “Tourism and Peace” took centre stage, underscoring tourism’s profound role in fostering understanding, unity, and peace among diverse cultures and communities.

The clock is ticking on the world’s climate goals. With Asia accounting for half of the world’s carbon emissions due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the region is a deciding factor in the race to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2050.

The impact of climate change has escalated globally, with an estimated 2.8 trillion US dollars in global loss and damage from 2000 to 2019, according to a 2023 study cited by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Southeast Asia, one of the most vulnerab

The devastation wrought by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami spurred the world into action, with the ASEAN Member States playing a significant role in the response. In the immediate aftermath, the ASEAN Leaders issued the Declaration on Action to Strengthe

On 11 October 2024, Ekkaphab Phanthavong officially completes his tenure as the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. Before assuming his role at the ASEAN Secretariat, he was the Ambassador/Permanent Representative

Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, first woman Prime Minister of Norway, pioneered the concept of sustainable development and shaped its early agenda. She is a founding member of The Elders, the group of independent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela in

Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reflects on his 10-year tenure as chief diplomat and development advocate, and the role that mutlilateralism plays in addressing ongoing and emerging global challenges.

Hugh Lim, Executive Director of Centre for Liveable Cities, weighs in on what it takes to build pandemic-proof and resilient cities based on the practices that worked and deficiencies that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. He discusses the benefits

ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi talks to The ASEAN on the qualities and benefits of smart cities, as well as the ongoing initiatives to support the region’s 26 major cities in developing, updating, and implementing their smart city action pla

The Indian Ocean Tsunami flattened the coastal communities of Aceh, North Sumatra, killing more than 170,000 people. At least 116,000 are listed as missing. In this section, five survivors share their experiences from the harrowing day of 26 December 2

Fifty-five-year-old Agus Nur Amal PM Toh is an Acehnese traditional storytelling artist. His love for the arts began in his hometown of Sabang on Weh Island, Aceh, the westernmost island in Indonesia. It is in a theatre’s spectator seats where he disco

On 26 December 2004, Andi Azhar Rusdin was a high school student who loved math and physics. Like many others, he was shocked by the tragic news of the Aceh tsunami unfolding that day.

On the morning of 26 December 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck, triggering one of the most devastating tsunamis in Asia. My hometown, Aceh, Indonesia was among the hardest hit, and the destruction was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.

No other country in the Asia- Pacific region has more volcanoes than Indonesia. The country is home to at least 127 active volcanoes; thus, volcanic eruptions are a major threat to the archipelago.