Natural Resources

Southeast Asia’s geographical location is blessed with abundant natural resources – minerals, forests, and wildlife. For hundreds of years, these resources have been a source of livelihood and even life for Indigenous peoples, as well as local communities. However, the capitalist perspective of development is rapidly encroaching on the mineral-rich lands of these peoples. 

Climate-smart mining appears to be a better alternative to traditional mining, known for its destructive nature. By hyphenating ‘climate’ with smart mining, it is a repackaged tool to attract the mineral-rich but developing countries. 

The Philippines generates some 2.7 million tonnes of plastic waste annually and 20% of that goes to the ocean, according to the World Bank. “Sachet economy" and "high dependence" on single-use plastics continue to worsen the alarming levels of marine plastic pollution. The country is urged to enforce implementation of sufficient waste management system. 

Climate Fresk was created in 2015 by Cedric Ringenbach, a French engineer and professor specialising in energy transition. This board game encourages discussion on environment and climate related issues, especially for young people.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Thailand, like many countries, has developed various approaches to mitigate the climate crisis. One approach is forest-based offsets, which are seen as effective and may provide income for communities. This paper argues that due to the market-based orientation of such projects, these may have the potential for abuse and endanger community rights and justice, particularly for those whose livelihoods depend on the forests.