Climate change is already happening. Sea levels continue to rise. Temperatures keep increasing rapidly. Around the world, countries face more and more destructive natural disasters. But not all countries experience the effects of global warming in the same way.
The blow is much harder in the Southeast Asian region, where most countries are still considered as developing nations. These countries – Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – are all in tropical and subtropical climatic zones and already experience warm and humid climates with plenty of rainfall throughout the year. As temperatures continue to rise, they become more prone to the more adverse effects of climate change.
What steps have these countries taken in terms of facing the challenges brought about by climate change? What measures have they applied individually and collectively to prevent major catastrophies and economic crises?
Let’s take a look at the ways climate change has affected countries in Southeast Asia and the ways they deal with it in their own ways and as parts of the region.
Threats faced by Southeast Asian countries
Southeast Asia is in a particularly vulnerable position, sitting right in what is known as the Pacific Ring of Fire. This means there is higher tectonic activity in this area, and these countries are prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. As the earth continues to warm, they are also more prone to extreme weather conditions that cause landslides, floods, and wildfires.
Despite seeing a collective growth in their economies in recent decades, Southeast Asian countries may face major losses in coming years if climate change is not mitigated. A recent report showed that Southeast Asia can lose $28 trillion in its current value in the next 50 years if it fails to reduce carbon emissions in the region.
Developing nations like those in Southeast Asia experience the wrath of nature more than their developed counterparts. Because of their coastal locations, they are more prone to storms and floods. The United Nations Development Programme noted that developing nations suffer 99% of casualties caused by climate change.
According to the United Nations, the Philippines is the second most vulnerable country in the world, facing the worst effects of climate change. It is the only southeast Asian nation in the top 10 most at-risk countries in the world. Across the Philippine archipelago, local governments and its citizens have suffered from the wrath of some of the world’s strongest typhoons, causing massive flooding as well as landslides in the last three years alone.
Indonesia is also at risk from high rainfall events in the country throughout the year. It has recorded flash floods in the capital city of Jakarta as recent as December 2021. It is believed that Jakarta is sinking by 7.8 inches per year, and it’s possible that it could be underwater by 2050, just like the capital city of Manila in the Philippines.
Indonesia’s neighboring country, Timor-Leste, also suffers from the same disasters as typhoons batter their nation. Last year, it logged record floods, killing at least 42 people and displacing up to 14,000 people in April. Similarly, Central Vietnam, as well as some parts of Cambodia and Laos, were all affected by massive flooding in 2020 after a succession of six tropical storms hit the region in October.
Meanwhile, Malaysia has had to deal with forest fires and haze in recent years. The annual event, happening from June to October which both Malaysia and Indonesia grapple with, have been blamed on the slash-and-burn clearance of forests predominantly for palm oil production. These two countries have pointed fingers at each other yet neither have taken enough measures to tackle the problem.
How Southeast Asian countries are acting on climate change
Last year, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN – an organization with 10 member states that include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – released their first climate change report. It outlines regional targets such as achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, promoting sustainable management of forests, strengthening the organization’s capacity for to manage climate-related disasters, and more.
The report also shared the ways the member countries have addressed climate change through their own policies. Last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob pledged that the country will aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Laos has also set a conditional target of net-zero by 2050. Other countries like Indonesia and Singapore have also set similar targets – by 2060 for Indonesia, and as soon as possible after 2050 for Singapore. Meanwhile, Cambodia set a more aspirational target of reaching net-negative by 2030.
The report also qualified that member countries should also consider the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to society and also highlighted the importance of green recovery. It also emphasized the need for a collective vision of working towards climate actions, and other goals set for its member countries.
The ASEAN hopes to achieve green recovery by boosting climate finance as well as knowledge and technology transfer to its member countries in key areas like disaster risk reduction, mitigation measures, and clean energy transition.
The member nations have all pledged to strengthen their disaster mitigation and risk reduction measures in order to support and contribute to the ASEAN’s cooperation to reduce climate change impacts.
The Indonesian government has established mitigation programs in agriculture, forestry, and other land use sectors in order to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. They have also deployed renewable energy technologies. However, the country still remains highly dependent on fossil fuels.
The Philippine government established the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in 2010. The goal was to support the country’s Climate Change Commission to address disaster resiliency and to build safer communities in the country. However, with too many natural disasters occurring in the country, the council has found themselves busy dealing with the effects and recovery efforts of these massive events every year, which has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Thailand, the government has pushed a shift to organic farming methods. The country has been producing a lower per capita emission rate compared to the global average. It has also planned to build and repair flood prevention walls in Bangkok as well as water retention areas. However, outside of heavy infrastructure projects, they have not improved their water management systems.
Meanwhile, Singapore has been focused on reducing emissions. They have been improving energy efficiency through their education system as well as through incentives for businesses, all supported by legislation. As a small nation-state, they have very limited natural resources and are highly dependent on energy, so they focused on switching from fuel oil to natural gas for power generation.
Vietnam has also pledged to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 8% in 2030. They have also been pushing for renewable energy options to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels. The government has also promoted research and development for policies relating to clean energy sources. The country has also been pushing the use of electric vehicles, to help reduce pollution in cities.
Timor-Leste, on the other hand, is not a member of the ASEAN and also does not have a proper climate change action plan in place. As such, very little data comes out of the country regarding the effects of global warming. The country has already experienced widespread crop and a severe food shortage in 2003 after massive flooding affected the country.
Southeast Asian countries have committed to do their part individually in order to fight the adverse effects of climate change, but these efforts leave much to be desired, especially for countries with lower GDP. With very few resources that are already dedicated to disaster rehabilitation and pandemic recovery, these countries have been set back a few years in their fights against climate change.
As a collective, its goals can only be considered aspirational. If all nations in the region provide funding to mitigate disasters, strengthen risk reduction programs, and invest in renewable energy resources, worst-case scenarios might not happen. It takes policies, budget, and implementation, as well as regional cooperation, to ensure that Southeast Asia will not be the first or worst victims of the effects of climate change in decades to come.
