Articles Category: Environment

Eight years have passed since the world committed to keep the Earth’s temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees Celsius during the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in 2015. At the COP28 held in Dubai from 30 November to 13 December 2023, par

Yes, experts assert that millets offer a sustainable and healthy food source capable of feeding populations worldwide.

The Southeast Asian countries believe that sustainable social and cultural practices are urgently needed to address the challenges posed by climate change at the global, national, and local levels. The call is to revitalise our traditional practices, r

Water and sanitation management presents many challenges and opportunities in the ASEAN region. This article explores the current state of the sector and link practices rooted in traditions with policy initiatives in selected countries, shaping the sec

Water and rain are essential to sustaining lives and livelihood, and fostering social and economic development throughout Southeast Asia. They are, for example, necessary for the production of rice, a tradition that dates back to thousands of years. Ri

I had the honour to be invited to attend the first ASEAN Forum on Disaster Resilience, hosted by the Singapore Civil Defence Force in mid-August this year. As we emerge from the shadow of the pandemic, it felt wonderful to be able to connect with many

Bullying of children is becoming a pervasive concern in the region. Director General Luu Quang Tuan shares with The ASEAN, some of the initiatives started by ASEAN to protect children from bullying, both online and offline.

ACWC is a consultative body that supports the work of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development. ACWC Chair and Cambodian Ministry of Women’s Affairs Under Secretary Hou Nirmita talks about the role of the Commission in securing t

Minister Khattiya provides an overview of ASEAN’s goals and strategies for upholding the rights and advancing the well-being of children in the region. She talks about the progress made in terms of protecting children from violence and increasing acces

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

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.

Nestled along the Philippines’ typhoon-prone corridor, Naga City faces heightened vulnerability to torrential rains, landslides, and heavy flooding. Just this past April, the city felt the impact of Tropical Depression Amang. Though a relatively weak s

On Instagram @earthtodorcas, Dorcas Tang Wen Yu creates stories and advocates for a better world through her illustrations and poems. Her activism brought her to Egypt to attend the United Nations Conference of Youth (COY) 17, which was held on the sid

Children relate their experiences and feelings in the most fascinating and amusing ways. But their stories are often insightful and profound, giving us a glimpse of how they view the world. During the pandemic, the view for Hannah and Callum Goh and Za

One hundred fifty-two million students in the region were forced to shift to remote and online learning when the COVID-19 pandemic led to prolonged school closures. Eight children share how they coped with this abrupt transition and what they liked or