The world is getting warmer and natural hazards are becoming more intense, likely bringing higher economic losses in the future. Today, four major weather perils result in expected economic losses of USD 200 billion annually. With more severe weather coming, economic losses are set to rise. The study analysis finds …
An $8-million (roughly P352-million) project has been launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) for the expedited establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Marine Protected Area Networks (MPANs) in key marine biodiversity areas. The Marine Key Biodiversity …
A warming planet is already stoking the intensity of tropical cylones in the north-west Pacific and their ferocity will continue to increase even with moderate climate change over this century, an international research team has found. A study covering 850 typhoons in the region found the intensity of the damaging …
Southeast Asian governments must help farmers find better ways to grow food in the face of worsening droughts, storms and sea level rise that are threatening the region's agricultural output and pushing people into poverty, Oxfam said on Tuesday. As the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations …
Oxfam’s Grow campaign policy coordinator, Riza Bernabe, has said ASEAN can help small-scale farmers and fisherfolk in Southeast Asian countries to become resilient to climate change by reproducing sustainable agriculture practices on a wider scale across the region. “ASEAN governments must also pour in more money in helping small-scale farmers …
Environment crime undermines sustainable development. It is not only a threat to species, to habitats and to ecosystems, but also to human health, livelihoods and national economies Five enforcement officers and eight organizations tackling fast-growing illegal trade in wildlife, chemicals and waste in Asia Pacific are the first recipients of …
Typhoons (tropical cyclones) severely impact the half-billion population of the Asian Pacific. Intriguingly, during the recent decade, typhoon destructive potential (Power Dissipation Index, PDI) has decreased considerably (by B35%). This decrease, paradoxically, has occurred despite the increase in typhoon intensity and ocean warming. Using the method proposed by Emanuel (in …
Canada and the Philippines are reportedly close to a solution to the vexed issue of hazardous waste containers shipped to Philippines. There are about 50 container vans of household trash illegally shipped to the Philippines from Canada in 2013 with no solution in sight regarding its disposal. According to Canadian …
ISLAMABAD: Global Climate Risk Index-2015 said that five out of top 10 countries most affected by climate change-induced disasters during 1994-2013 are located in Asia Pacific. Climate Change Minister Mushahidullah Khan said that in UN’s recent report “Economic Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific” almost all Asia-Pacific countries - …
After killing two people in the Philippines, powerful Typhoon Noul crashed into Okinawa Prefecture on Tuesday, bringing with it surging waves and howling winds as it headed toward Japan’s main islands. Heavy rain and gale-force gusts lashed a wide swath of islands in the prefecture, television footage showed, as pedestrians …
In Taiwan, which is also in the storm's predicted path, authorities evacuated almost 1000 tourists from an island off the southeast coast. "This is a very dangerous storm," Rene Paciente, head of the Philippines' marine weather division, said. "It is the strongest so far this year." More than 1680 people …
The Philippines is bracing for a typhoon heading for the northeast of the main island of Luzon and expected to make landfall on Sunday, bringing heavy to intense rainfall, the weather bureau said. Packing center winds of 140 kph (87 mph) with gusts of up to 170 kph, Typhoon Noul …
Storm surge thrown onshore by tropical systems can kill, destroy property and reshape coastlines. Here’s another negative for the list: Depending on the makeup of the soil and local infrastructure, it can also contaminate water deep in the ground. The people on the Philippine island of Samar are learning this …
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is among the six countries of Asia selected by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to scale up investments in urban climate change resilience, especially for the urban poor, it was learnt here on Wednesday. ADB under the Urban Climate Change Resilience Trust Fund (UCCRTF) will enhance investments across …
(Reuters) - The Philippines is tightening oversight of the roughly 300,000 small-scale miners in the country as it looks to curb illegal mining and gold smuggling, as well as to protect the environment, a government official said on Monday. The Philippines is sitting on mineral reserves worth $1.4 trillion, among …
The Philippines on Monday said China's reclamation work in the South China Sea had destroyed about 300 acres (1.2 sq km) of coral reef, causing annual estimated losses of $100 million to coastal nations. China's rapid reclamation around seven reefs in the Spratly archipelago has alarmed other claimants, such as …
Densely populated Southeast Asian island states such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and the Philippines are likely to face more intense climate events in future, analysts said on Thursday. These islands are especially vulnerable because of their large populations and because much of their land is exposed to storm surges …
The Philippines put troops on alert on Wednesday and prepared food and medical supplies as it warned residents and tourists along its eastern coast to be ready for a super typhoon expected to land some time in the next 72 hours. Typhoon Maysak, initially a top-rated category 5 typhoon, weakened …
The Philippines on Wednesday ordered oil companies, including Petron Corp and local units of Shell and Chevron, to sell only Euro IV-compliant fuels by July 1 in a drive to boost air quality in the Southeast Asian country. While there have been improvements in the capital Manila, air quality in …
The G-33 on Friday debated the US proposal at the second dedicated session this year on the issue at the Geneva-based WTO India and other members of the G-33 grouping have opposed a new US proposal for a permanent solution to the factious issue of food stockholding for food security …
Of the 10 world cities most exposed to natural hazards, eight are in the Philippines, according to research which also showed that over half of the 100 cities most exposed to earthquakes, storms and other disasters were found in four Asian nations. The study published on Wednesday by risk analysis …
