Code Red for Southeast Asia: ASEAN’s Climate and Energy Challenge Article The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change outlines the urgency for ASEAN countries to respond, individually and collectively. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has captured resources and attention, commitments to addressing climate change will lead to longer-term resilience for the region. By Denise Fontanilla
Decarbonization, the Southeast Asian Way Article No Single Pathway. Southeast Asian countries’ targets and wish lists toward carbon neutrality are like individual recipes that use different ingredients in various ways, to produce the same dish (hopefully). But the region and the world are still off-target for keeping global warming to under 2º Celsius and carbon neutrality by 2050 or thereabouts. By Johanna Son
ASEAN and The Mekong Web-dossier In this web-dossier, mainly the Mekong region with Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam and the Mekong river as a regional and ASEAN issue will be explored.
Mekong River Flux and Flows: Capturing the Vulnerability of the Mekong Ecosystems in Thai Communities Article The Mekong Butterfly, an independent ecological group based in Thailand, has been monitoring the impacts of water levels and changing aquatic patterns on two species: the Mekong river crinum lily, a Mekong riverbank plant, and the small pratincole, a bird adapting its behavior to the new conditions. By The Mekong Butterfly
Food as a Commons: Making or Breaking the Future of Food Citizenship Article Food as a commons has been an emerging issue over the past decade. As the UN Food Systems Summit takes place, will the future of food be able to incorporate systems thinking and continue building stronger institutions? Hans van Willenswaard reviews the history of this movement and current steps in the direction of awareness, responsibility and the middle ground in taking up ‘food citizenship’. By Hans van Willenswaard
Gender and Climate Change: Snapshots from Southeast Asia Article Most regions in the world have been – to some extent – affected by climate change, and Southeast Asian countries are no exception. Within the group of people who are affected, recognition needs to be accentuated on the disproportionate impact of climate change along gender lines. It is essential for the region to further enhance their collaborative climate actions to respond to the need of a gender transformational change that will increase women’s resiliency toward the risk of climate change. By Tri Sulistyo Saputro
“It’s a clear signal that the Asian Development Bank is finally, finally moving away from coal.” Interview Mr Rayyan Hassan, Executive Director of the NGO Forum, urged the ADB to take the coal moratorium ahead and move towards a full transition to renewable energy finance as soon as possible. In this interview, he shares what happened next and what still needs to be done. By Daniel Abunales and Lea Goelnitz
Tourism Struggles to See Its Future in Southeast Asia Article The hard-hit tourism industry in Southeast Asia looks for ways out of the pandemic. From promoting domestic tourism to ‘travel bubbles’ to Thailand’s Phuket Sandbox scheme to bring back international travelers, all ASEAN countries are facing novel challenges of the ‘novel’ coronavirus. What are countries doing to counter the disastrous effects on tourism? And what can countries learn from each other? By Vincent Vichit-Vadakan
Threats to the Existence of Riparian Communities of the Mekong Article Water resource management of the Mekong River is a source of differences and conflicts of interest between Mekong countries and extra-regional powers. What happens upstream significantly affects the downstream areas, and data sharing about the river is varied. Unfortunately, the states sharing this international river are not equal in terms of power and there are ongoing challenges for providing consistent water management to benefit local riparian communities. By Khen Suan Khai
Bees and Pesticides in Southeast Asia Article Most beekeepers have, at one time or another, found themselves confronted with the painful experience of finding a carpet of dead bees on the floor of one of their hives, or of observing bees in front of their hives exhibiting tremors, uncoordinated movements and convulsions; all signs of insecticide poisoning. By Eric Guerin