Articles Category: Environment

The ASEAN region is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. According to the ASEAN State of Climate Change Report (2021), the ASEAN region faces escalating consequences of climate change, including rising temperatures, more frequent extreme

Water festivals are important occasions in Southeast Asia and Northeast India. Despite geographical differences, the water festivals celebrated in the two regions are startlingly similar, underscoring Southeast Asia and Northeast India’s common cultura

Water and sanitation are pivotal for sustainable development. Emperor Naruhito, known for his keen interest in water policy, stated at the 9th World Water Forum, “Water plays a critical role on this continent where rapid socio-economic development is t

In the face of unprecedented global health challenges, the ASEAN BioDiaspora Virtual Center (ABVC) has emerged as a pioneering force in the realm of infectious disease analytics within the region. ABVC has evolved into a crucial player in the battle ag

Climate change is impacting the lives of people worldwide and stands out as one of the gravest challenges facing the international community. Respondents to the 2022 World Economic Forum Global Risks Perception Survey ranked “climate action failure” as

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

In 2013, Gibran Huzaifah introduced eFishery, a smart-feeding technology that modernised the feeding method for fish and shrimps, and in the process, transformed the lives of fish and shrimp farmers in Indonesia. Once a fish farmer himself, Gibran says

Peter Thipommajan, a 23-year-old economics graduate from National University of Laos, began teaching English informally to children in 2019. From Monday to Friday, he would rent the Saelao Restaurant in Ban Nathong, Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province and h

Pimvadee travels along mountain terrains to remote villages in Lao PDR and Myanmar, working together with rural communities to prepare for natural disasters, such as flooding and landslides.  Living with communities for two weeks for each assignment, s

Freelance photographer Alex Baluyut and theater actress Preciosa Leano are the founders of the non-profit organisation, Art Relief Mobile Kitchen in the Philippines (AMRK), that feeds distressed populations in disaster and conflict areas.   The couple

Armed with lenses, photojournalists go into the unknown zones to identify and capture moments that matter and show them to the world. During natural disasters, photography can also be a way to provide a sense of scale, while humanising the disasters.

Rili Djohani has worked for over 30 years to protect marine ecosystems and coastal areas in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Her journey in marine conservation began in 1989 when she established the World Wildlife Fund marine conservation programme in Ind