Southeast Asia

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’. 

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.

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.

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?

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.  

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.

For millions of people, the Mekong River is a cohabitation of people, animals, natural resources and culture. For some states and international organizations, the Mekong River is a place where cooperation is needed for sustainable development in the region. For a few, the Mekong River is considered as a strategic area of competition for their power and influence.

This E-paper by Tipakson Manpati explores the back and forth in the discourse and strategies around Thailand's politics on the use of nuclear power, including debates on energy efficiency and long-term safety issues.

Rodrigo Duterte’s term as President of the Philippines ends on June 30, 2022. Many Filipinos and foreigners who have witnessed Duterte’s shocking antics, including presidents, pope, magistrates who have been the subject of Duterte’s abrasive talk and behavior over the past five years wonder how the Duterte presidency will end, and what is in store for the Philippines beyond?

This report examines that SEZs in the Mekong region are often linked with human rights violations such as land dispossession, poor working conditions and environmental degradation. As SEZs have expanded in the region, so too have social conflicts and resistance from local residents who have fought to protect their land and resources.