Southeast Asia Archives

8 12, 2022

https://news.mongabay.com/2022/12/as-waste-to-energy-incinerators-spread-in-southeast-asia-so-do-concerns/

As Waste-to-Energy Incinerators Spread in Southeast Asia, So Do Concerns

Aparna Packer2025-04-09T23:30:11-04:00Country: Southeast Asia|

Nicha Wachpanich and Nithin Coca discuss waste management innovations in Southeast Asia. Waste-to-energy technology, a fixture in places like Japan and northern Europe, has been increasingly embraced across Southeast Asia as a promising solution for sustainable energy production. Thailand's ambitious plan outlines the construction of 79 plants while Indonesia anticipates at least 17 facilities. However, enthusiasm has been met with apprehension as concerns regarding environmental repercussions and public health ramifications are prompting protests and project setbacks. Amidst this discourse, Europe is scrutinizing the technology's climate-friendly claims, with several countries contemplating carbon taxes on waste-to-energy facilities. Bangkok's inaugural waste-to-energy incinerator in Nong Khaem district, with its capacity to convert 500 metric tons of solid waste into electricity daily, sets a precedent for the region. Despite its potential, opposition arises from communities wary of pollution risks and health hazards, mirroring similar sentiments in Indonesia. As international funding and expertise fuel this burgeoning industry, critics caution against disregarding sustainability concerns and advocate for a thorough revaluation of waste management strategies in Southeast Asia.

6 12, 2015

https://www.opendemocracy.net/5050/nathalie-marji/women-on-frontlines-of-climate-justice-defending-land-and-community

Defending Land And Community In Southeast Asia

Katherine2017-06-20T21:02:37-04:00Country: Southeast Asia|

Throughout Southeast Asia, women environmental activists are risking physical assault, arrest and jail time to defend their lands and communities. For example, Bai Ali Indayla, a Moro woman from Mindanao in the Philippines, is an outspoken advocate for the Bangsmaro people, whose safety and well-being is threatened by militarization, conflict and multinational mining companies. In Indonesia, Jull Takaliuang worked to stop destructive gold mining, reclaim beaches and halt illegal logging. Eva Bande, a mother of three from Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, founded the People’s Front for Central Sulawesi Palm Oil Advocacy to organize communities to stop illegal land grabs and monitor environmental degradation. These three women received death threats and even prison sentences due to their activities, but continue to fight for justice. Photo credit: Krissanto Triputro

6 12, 2015

https://urgentactionfund.org/2015/12/defending-land-and-community-women-on-the-frontlines-of-climate-justice/

Defending Land And Community: Women On The Frontlines Of Climate Justice

Katherine2023-04-16T14:43:00-04:00Country: Southeast Asia|

Nathalie Margi details the stories of three women environmental activists in Southeast Asia who have taken action at the grassroots level to defend the earth from the extractive industries that threaten the health and safety of their communities. Bai Ali Indayla, a Moro activist from the Philippines, fights back against the multinational corporations that exploit her community’s land and resources and degrade the environment. Eva Bande, an Indonesian land rights activist, was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for her work with Palm Oil Advocacy, an organization that resists illegal land grabs, extraction, and other forms of environmental destruction. Another Indigenous Indonesian earth defender and human rights activist Jull Takaliuang, has also experienced various forms of violence for her work to fight back against harmful extractive industries like gold mining and illegal logging. Women like Indayla, Bande, and Takaliuang fight on the frontlines of climate change, but are silenced in international conversation to advance climate efforts and solutions.

17 07, 2015

http://www.scidev.net/asia-pacific/climate-change/opinion/pacific-nations-need-gender-sensitive-climate-schemes.html

Pacific Nations Need Gender-Specific Climate Schemes

Katherine2017-07-20T19:02:36-04:00Country: Southeast Asia|

Rising sea levels have made the Pacific Island nations extremely vulnerable to climate change. However, women in Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Tonga hold intimate knowledge of how their communities can adapt due to their roles working in fisheries and agriculture. Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago-Elisara, the deputy director of gender, culture and youth in the social development division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), encourages international policymakers to take women’s unique knowledge and contributions into account when designing climate adaptation programs. Photo credit: Jack Fields