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 …
Insufficient regulation and fossil fuel subsidies are holding back Southeast Asia’s transition to a low carbon economy, according to a new report released by Eco-Business. Government, business and civil society leaders across the region said the absence of tougher regulations around environmental standards was the biggest obstacle to their country …
Scientists say that more than 100 thousand varieties of rice have been safeguarded for the future. Samples in the world's largest rice gene bank in the Philippines are being used to help farmers develop rice crops that can survive drought and flooding. The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) gene bank …
Freedom Island is drowning in garbage. The last coastal frontier in the Philippine capital provides refuge to migratory birds and a thick mangrove forest there serves as a natural typhoon barrier for millions of city dwellers. Yet empty plastic water and soda bottles protrude from the sand, tattered clothes and …
The Cordillera region occupies a mountainous and forested area in the northern most part of the Philippines. With a favorable temperate climatic regime, the region is endowed with a rich and diverse flora and fauna. Moreover, the region is inhabited by local communities with a diverse culture. With an intimate …
The storm struck an agricultural area of the island of Luzon and flooded other farming regions as well, causing at least $177 million worth of damage to rice and corn crops, according to agriculture authorities. The destruction of crops by a powerful typhoon will push people in the Philippines deeper …
In 2013, the remote Tubbataha Reef UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the western Philippines, experienced two ship groundings within four months: the USS Guardian (USSG), a US military vessel, and the Min Ping Yu (MPY), an illegal Chinese fishing vessel. Here, we present the results of coral disease assessments completed …
The Philippines has lifted a two-year moratorium on approving mining exploration permits, in a move that the government and industry hope will help determine the potential of some prospects in the world’s No. 2 nickel ore exporter. The decision is the second mining policy measure to be amended in recent …
But most are still in the early stages of creating waste management strategies and passing laws needed to implement them. According to the Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., more than half of the world’s plastic waste can be found in five Asian countries: China, …
The food industry today faces a daunting task: feeding 10 billion mouths in a fair and sustainable way by 2050. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, food supply must more than double in 30 years to provide for the entire world. One in nine people around the …
Murders of land and environmental activists are surging in the Philippines, making it the deadliest country in Asia, according to campaigners who said the government has failed to provide protection. The Philippines-based rights group Karapatan recorded at least 63 killings of land and environmental activists last year, more than double …
More than 200 environmental activists were killed last year for opposing large-scale agricultural and mining projects, a global rights watchdog said on July 24. The British-based Global Witness said it had documented 207 cases in 22 countries where activists were killed while trying to protect land from development, often for …
Rural and indigenous communities worldwide must wade through decades of red tape to secure property rights while companies can win those rights within weeks, putting local people at grave risk of losing their homelands, researchers said on Wednesday. Lacking legal claim to their property leaves communities vulnerable to being pushed …
The report emphasizes the importance of breaking the cycle of inequitable investment in human capital and lack of well-paying job opportunities that trap the poor in poverty, generation after generation. Children from poor households start life at a disadvantage. Malnourished and stunted, with poor access to quality health care, they …
Every year, activists are killed for protesting destruction of the environment and encroachment upon indigenous lands. As industries expand, more land is threatened and those affected often don’t have the resources or clout to fight back. As reported by the Guardian, nearly 200 environmental defenders were killed in 2017, and …
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.2 struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which hit at a depth of 61 km (38 miles), about 128 km (80 miles) …
Improved national financial monitoring systems will increase accountability on climate change spending and foster transparency for global efforts to reach the goals outlined through the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to a joint study issued today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Latin …
In 2017, the Philippines adopted a set of long-term development goals for the country called AmBisyon Natin 2040. Developed through a participatory process, these goals provide overall guidance as well as a target for a series of more specific development plans. The Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 presents a series of …
MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines raised the alert level at its Mayon volcano on Monday after a loud explosion in the wake of increased activity made a hazardous eruption likelier, prompting authorities to close all schools and urge residents to stay indoors. Mayon, the country’s most active volcano, has been …
In emerging East Asia, agricultural output has expanded dramatically over recent decades, primarily as a result of successful efforts to stimulate yield growth. This achievement has increased the availability of food and raw materials in the region, drastically diminished hunger, and more generally provided solid ground for economic development. The …
Governments and national as well as corporations are driving the demand for water, land, fossil fuels, raw materials, and organic resources of all kinds, as never before. Previously intact ecosystems are being sacrificed to satisfy this hunger for resources. Thousands of people are losing their livelihoods as a consequence. But …
