CLIMATE JUSTICE NOW!

Wanted: More Outliers in the Climate Crisis

The future has, in many ways, been fast-forwarded to become the present. Climate change is no longer a far-off topic for scientists or government officials in air-conditioned halls, or just a protest campaign for noisy activists. The changes it has brought to human existence and the challenges to our ways of living, and to the natural world we wreck at our own risk, have arrived at our doorstep.

By Johanna Son

Perspectives Asia #8: Asia for Future

“You want people to become environmentalists? Make it practical and logical. Make it a trend.”

I stared at the computer screen. What I saw was a whiny girl, talking through a megaphone and telling people what to do. That girl was me, leading the Strike for Climate Change in Bangkok, which I organized as part of the global #FridaysForFuture Climate Strike on May 24, 2019, when 1.3 million young environmental activists skipped school to demand climate justice and a sustainable future.

By Nanticha 'Lynn' Ocharoenchai

Climate Crisis happened, we have to take action before it's too late.

Nguy Thi Khanh - Vietnam

A Climate Call for Thailand

Opinion

Thais often associate climate change action to plastic waste which is not the whole point of it. It’s easier to feel empathy for marine lives who suffer from plastic waste but not be responsible for the carbon footprint. Many of us still don’t get the big picture. Fighting climate change would involve reducing carbon emission, driving less, saving energy, being vegetarian, using local products, avoiding aviation, waste separation, recycle and more.

By Sanathorn Ratanapoompinyo

An Interview with Malaysian Youth Delegation

Youth & Climate

Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia had a great opportunity to have a conversation with the Malaysian Youth Delegation (MYD), a group of young, passionate climate activists from Malaysia who are working on climate at the local, national and international level representing Malaysian youth at international climate conferences.

Vietnam’s Most Vulnerable Region Copes with Climate Change

Article

The Mekong Delta where the turbid water flow of the Mekong River passing through before joining the sea, is the largest area of rice, fruits and fishery production in Vietnam. It is also the place which seriously affected by climate change, drought, saline intrusion, sea level rise and landslide. In the last few years, unpredictable weather pattern has made crops in the Mekong Delta unstable, leading to a harder life for the people and as a consequence, the influx of people from rural areas to big cities has spread through the whole region.

By Le Dinh Tuyen

Climate Change Art: Artists Speak Up for Climate in Vietnam

Article

Through mural street art which is visible to hundreds of thousand of city residents, messages on the causes and impacts of climate change and renewable energy as the ultimate solution for Vietnam are conveyed in such an inspirational way to the public.

By Tuong Nguyen

We have to reduce plastic usage and consumption in our society.

Tara Buakamsri - Thailand

Winds of Change in Malaysia: The Government and the Climate

Article

2014 figures indicate that Malaysia is ranked third in the region in terms of CO₂ emissions per capita (8.00 metric tons) after Brunei Darussalam and Singapore. This is almost double the world average and is a clear indication that Malaysia’s commitment to reduce emissions is essential for the sustainable future of the region.

By Helena Varkkey

Threatened Biodiversity and Empty Wombs: Climate Change and Women’s Plight in Central Java

Study

With the increasing threats of climate change, corporate investment and industrial expansion in the area, women are faced with new challenges in the form of migration and trafficking. The impacts of climate change are charted as follows: decreasing crop yields; threats to food security; increased water stress and drought; increasing fluvial flooding and rainfall; frequent fluvial flooding; an increasing number of tropical cyclones (in certain areas); and rise of sea level affecting livelihood in coastal regions.

By Dewi Candraningrum

Climate Change, a Missing Discussion in Indonesia’s Presidential Election

Article

The 2019 Indonesian presidential candidates, Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto, squared off during a televised debate on February 17. While both have mentioned climate change in their vision and mission documents, none of them cared enough to elaborate on that during the debate.

By Hans Nicholas Jong

We are in a Climate Crisis and the way these big projects are coming at us, we need to counter this with our own development agenda.

Rayyan Hassan - The Philippines

Climate Change Mitigation in Singapore: Lessons From an Urbanized Island Nation

Article

With a gleaming skyline, robust public transportation system, and high per capita income, Singapore is often held up as a paragon of development that other Southeast Asian countries seek to emulate. However, a closer look at Singapore’s climate commitments and non-state actors suggests that while Singapore presents a pathway for climate mitigation, the island nation still has scope to be more ambitious and those looking to follow in its path should take note.

By Aidan Mock

For the rest of our life, fight hard in saving Mother Earth. That's the only chance that we have.

Dr. Dewi Candraningrum - Indonesia

Vulnerable Country Approaches to Urgent Climate Policy Development

Article

Vulnerable countries should use the current period to more rapidly bake-in implications of the climate crisis in economy-wide development metrics and plans. They must do so in ways that reflect national priorities and which enable country development strategies even as they sustain and intensify demands for developed countries to deliver climate finance obligations based on the speed and scale of vulnerable country needs rather than random rich country yardsticks.

By Renato Redentor Constantino

Tackling Deforestation in the Palm Oil Industry: Quo Vadis Private and Public Sectors Commitments?

Article

The concerns around deforestation, fires, animal extinction, social conflicts and other problems with the palm oil industry, especially in Indonesia, has increased significantly in the past two decades. There have been commitments made by governments and the companies to tackle deforestation in Indonesia since then. What are the main commitments from government and companies, what are the progress and the major challenges to deliver them, and what are the recommendations, will be the main focus of this article.

By Annisa Rahmawati

Building Climate Resilience in Southeast Asian Secondary Cities

Article

Southeast Asia is urbanizing rapidly, with cities in the region growing five times faster than in other regions of the world. As in most of Asia, urban growth in the region in the coming decades is projected to occur mainly in smaller urban centres. These cities, however are often highly vulnerable to the risks posed by climate change, particularly floods, droughts, and sea-level rise, because of their geographical locations.

By Danny Marks

Contributors