Showing 1 - 10 of 375
Climate risks threaten Thai economy
Oped, Rapeepat Ingkasit, Published on 21/08/2024
» Last month, our Climate Finance Network Thailand (CFNT) network hosted a webinar titled "Time to Act: Looming Climate Impacts on Thailand's Financial Sector". Our highlight was our guest, Dr Kannika Thampanishvong, section head at the Puey Ungphakorn Institute for Economic Research, who told us about how finance professionals view climate change and how economists prepare to deal with natural disasters.
Hydro rebound will curb fossil fuels
News, Published on 11/07/2024
» Global hydroelectric generation slumped to a five-year low last year as a result of lower-than-average rainfall across China, North America and India, contributing to record fossil fuel combustion and emissions in 2023.
Let's double down on resilience
Oped, Published on 10/06/2024
» This year has already seen a cascade of extreme weather events -- from devastating floods in Pakistan, to scorching heatwaves in the Sahel and West Africa -- leaving an indelible mark on many parts of the world. The increasing number of lives (now already in the tens of millions) affected by extreme weather events further reminds us how vulnerable we are in the face of an increasingly volatile climate and water system.
Respect 'laws of nature'
Oped, Editorial, Published on 05/06/2024
» Today marks World Environment Day, initiated in 1973 by the United Nations Environment Programme to create a global platform aimed at inspiring positive change.
Check dams need review
Oped, Editorial, Published on 04/06/2024
» While the government continues to promote check dams as a way to improve the nation's water management mechanism, little attention has been paid to the adverse impact such structures may have on the surrounding environment.
Taking on Bangkok's punishing heat
Oped, Danny Marks, Published on 03/05/2024
» As scorching temperatures blanket Thailand, setting new records in several regions, Bangkok and its outskirts are enduring the full force of the relentless heatwave. Bangkok sizzled under a heat index exceeding 52C on Tuesday, a measure that combines temperature and humidity to reflect how hot it actually feels. Tragically, heat-related fatalities in the country have reached 30 this year alone. A recent study reveals the unequal impact of urban heat intensity on Bangkok's residents, with lower-income individuals facing heightened heat stress during daily activities and rest.
Why solar and wind are not winning
Oped, Bjorn Lomborg, Published on 20/04/2024
» Despite us constantly being told that solar and wind are now the cheapest forms of electricity, governments around the world needed to spend US$1.8 trillion (66.3 trillion baht) on the green transition last year. "Wind and solar are already significantly cheaper than coal and oil" is how US President Joe Biden conveniently justifies spending hundreds of billions of dollars on green subsidies. Indeed, arguing that wind and solar is cheapest is a meme employed by green lobbyists, activists and politicians around the world. Unfortunately, as the $1.8 trillion price-tag shows, the claim is wildly deceptive.
Crisis in waste management
Oped, Editorial, Published on 09/04/2024
» The sight of our officials and ministers frantically searching for carcinogenic cadmium tailings is a reminder of how hopeless the state's toxic waste policy management has been. Without a major revamp, similar problems will only recur.
We need climate adaptation now
Oped, Published on 05/04/2024
» The announcement made by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is a grim warning of record-high temperatures. The entire nation is bracing for scorching hot weather this month, with forecasters saying temperatures look set to reach 44.5 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. For example, the mercury level in the Thoen district of the northern Lampang province reached 42C on Monday and yesterday, the hottest temperatures for this year’s summer so far. Meanwhile, the TMD reported the temperature of Muang district was not far behind at 41.8C.
Building a much stronger food system in Laos
Oped, Published on 29/03/2024
» One of the smallest and most sparsely populated nations in Southeast Asia, the Lao Peoples' Democratic Republic, a mountainous, landlocked country wedged between Vietnam, Thailand and China, has long grappled with challenges associated with supplies of food. A recently released Food and Agriculture Organization/World Food Programme joint report warns that food insecurity continues to increase in Laos, last year affecting more than a million people out of the 7.2 million population.