Other parts of the region are under strain as well, with Malaysia witnessing thousands displaced by repeated floods, while Vietnam and the Philippines have each endured a succession of storms and landslides that have killed hundreds this year.

Scientists say the scale of the destruction is consistent with long-term climate trends. 

The World Meteorological Organization reported that record-high carbon dioxide levels in 2024 accelerated global heating, driving more severe storms this year. Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, and warmer oceans are feeding storms that now form more quickly and arrive later in the year.

“Storms may not be more frequent, but they are becoming more intense and unpredictable,” said Benjamin Horton of the City University of Hong Kong.

Those shifts are overwhelming governments. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center notes that countries in the region still emphasize response over prevention, leaving them with shrinking lead time as extreme weather becomes more volatile. Indonesia is vowing to revoke mining permits for companies that broke environmental rules after the deadly floods in Sumatra. In the Philippines, a sweeping probe into anomalous flood-control projects has already triggered congressional resignations and Cabinet reshuffles. Since 2022, nearly 9,900 flood-control works in the Philippines have come under scrutiny after reports that many were “ghost projects,” substandard, overpriced or left unfinished.

In Sri Lanka, unregulated hillside development has contributed to deadly landslides in plantation areas. In Indonesia, satellite data show Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra have lost more than 19,000 square kilometres of forest since 2000 — a level of deforestation that researchers say likely intensified recent floods.

Vietnam estimates more than $3 billion in losses from storms and flooding this year. Thailand reports at least $47 million in agricultural damage since August, with major flooding in the south potentially costing more than $780 million. Indonesia’s finance ministry puts its average annual disaster losses at $1.37 billion.

For countries like Sri Lanka, the burden is especially heavy: it contributes little to global emissions yet is among the most exposed to climate impacts, while still grappling with high foreign debt .

At the COP30 summit in Brazil last month, governments pledged to triple adaptation funding and target $1.3 trillion annually in climate finance by 2035. But developing nations argue the commitments fall far short of what’s needed — and past pledges have often gone unfulfilled.

Climate analysts say Southern Asia is nearing a critical point. The region is expanding renewable energy, but its continued dependence on fossil fuels and resource extraction leaves communities increasingly vulnerable as the floodwaters rise.

Not long after Kalmaegi exited the Philippine area of responsibility, Fung Wong emerged, which eventually developed into a super typhoon. Its effects on the Philippines were more subdued, though two were still reported dead, while half a million were displaced. 

Due to the extent of the typhoons, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared a 1-year state of national calamity for the country. Prices of essential products have also been put on freeze.

Situated beside the Pacific Ocean, the Philippines experiences an average of 20 tropical cyclones annually. It also sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, making it prone to seismic and volcanic activity. 

‘Trapped between two emergencies’

Having lived in the Brazilian Amazon since 2018, he tells Global South World, “People living in the areas of the Amazon are trapped between two emergencies. And it's not just an environmental issue… on an economic and social level too.” 

The Italian, whose work explores the social and environmental challenges facing the rainforest, says its people are “suffering”, watching their societies erode and their economic activities massively impacted—they struggle to take care of their families.

“I met a family from a remote village, and it took 15 hours to make it from their village to the nearest bank in a small city called Tefe. And that was just to withdraw some basic emergency aid that the government was providing during the drought,” he said. 

“They pay a lot for gas just to take a few dollars back to [take care] of their families… On a trip that usually takes three hours when it's not a dry river,” he added.

People in the Brazilian Amazon engage in agriculture, fishing, and the sustainable use of forest resources. According to Falco, the climate crisis is forcing migration from small villages for economic reasons.

“Most of the people in the Amazon are a sort of sustainable extractivists. So they are based on some fishing together with some kind of bioeconomy products that they can sell in the nearest cities. So it's a sort of economy with no or few money involved,” he said.

‘Almost like a Western movie’

With over 18% of its rainforest lost to illegal logging, soy agriculture, and cattle ranching in the last 40 years, the majority of the forest is in danger. The Amazon’s unmatched biodiversity is essential to regulating the Earth's climate. 

Brazil's rapidly expanding population settled large swaths of the Amazon Rainforest in the 20th century. As a result of settlers clearing land for farmland and grazing pastures, as well as timber, the Amazon forest's size drastically decreased.

In the arc of deforestation, for example, where scientists have discovered that it is the most vulnerable to drought, Falco says it almost looks like a “desert”.

The area has the highest rates of Amazonian deforestation and is where the agricultural border transitions into the forest.

It spans 500,000 square kilometres of land, passing through the states of Mato Grosso, Rondônia, and Acre as it moves westward from the east and south of the Brazilian state of Pará.

“The landscape there is mostly paved roads, a lot of cattle, some cowboys. It's almost like a Western movie,” he added.

COP 30 — Not the World Cup?

Being the first United Nations Climate Conference to be held in the Amazon, there’s a lot of anticipation for COP 30.

Over $700 million in structural investments have been committed for the global event to welcome more than 50,000 participants to Belém.

According to Hana Ghassan, Vice-Governor of the state of Pará, this goes “beyond preparing the city for a single event—they’re about transforming lives and caring for people.” 

However, despite the various construction and infrastructure initiatives currently taking place ahead of the conference in November, Falco says there is a real disconnect.

“In the local Ver-o-Peso. The largest open-air market in Latin America, where all fishermen and fruit sellers have their stalls… Speaking to this lady… she was so happy that there would be thousands of people. I was intrigued by her enthusiasm, but then I understood that COP 30 in Brazil sounds a bit like 'copa', which is like the World Cup,” he said.

“The reality is she was thinking that COP 30 was like the World Cup, and that would have been happening in Belém.”

Help never reaches the people in need

Not only do illicit environmental activities constitute crimes against Brazil's Amazon, but government officials designated to oversee the flow of funds appropriated for the protection of the region and its inhabitants are occasionally involved as well.

The Superintendência de Desenvolvimento da Amazônia (SUDAM), created to boost enterprise in Brazil’s Legal Amazon, became infamous for policies that fuelled mass deforestation and a corruption scandal in 2000 involving over $500 million in embezzled funds. The revelations, sparked by a political feud, exposed deep-rooted graft and marked the country’s costliest corruption case at the time.

“When other governments want to help the indigenous community, this kind of aid always passes through governments… 90% of the funds will get lost,” Falco said. “There's a lot of middleman corruption that never reaches the people who are in need.” 

The Hong Kong Observatory reported that over 355 millimetres of rain fell by 2 p.m. Tuesday, marking the highest daily rainfall for the month of August since records began in 1884. 

The downpour prompted authorities to extend the “black” rainstorm signal — the most severe in the city’s three-tier warning system — until 5 p.m.

In the eastern district of Tseung Kwan O, small boats capsized, and cars in a nearby outdoor parking lot were submerged in floodwaters.

The city's airport also reported delays to around 100 flights as of Tuesday morning, with one departure and one arrival cancelled, the Airport Authority said.

The Drainage Services Department recorded 25 flooding incidents by Tuesday afternoon.

Nearby, the city of Shenzhen in mainland China issued its first “red” rainstorm warning since 2018, local media reported.

Officials in mainland China are also facing challenges from extreme weather events, which have caused casualties, displaced communities, and resulted in significant economic damage in recent years.

Home to nearly five million palm trees, the New Valley Governorate generates large volumes of palm frond waste annually. Authorities are now targeting this biomass as a resource for sustainable manufacturing and clean energy.

Minister Fouad noted that the Environment Ministry is actively promoting climate-conscious investment by converting waste into economic assets. A new unit has been established to link investors with green project opportunities, including bioenergy ventures.

El-Zamlout confirmed that the governorate has signed a cooperation agreement with the Arab Organisation for Industrialisation and European partners to build a €70 million factory for producing medium-density fibreboard (MDF) from palm residues.

Shredded palm fronds are also being considered as an alternative fuel source for Egypt’s cement industry, one of the country’s major greenhouse gas emitters. Officials aim to attract specialised companies to invest in processing facilities that would reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Countries across Africa and Asia are increasingly turning palm waste into a valuable resource for clean energy and industrial production.

In Malaysia, government-backed projects in collaboration with Japan are converting palm trunks into biofuel pellets and fiberboards for construction and furniture. The country also produces medium-density fibreboard (MDF) from palm shells and empty fruit bunches, meeting international export standards.

Cameroon is exploring similar waste-to-energy models , with studies highlighting the potential to repurpose over 200,000 tonnes of palm byproducts annually into fuel and fertiliser.

These efforts are part of a broader shift toward circular economy practices, where agricultural waste is transformed into renewable energy and sustainable materials, offering both environmental benefits and economic opportunity.

Here’s what they said.

You can share your opinions on our Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , or X posts.

Bangkok, Thailand

Ayush: “I love to travel, and I feel that as this city becomes more commercial, prices go up because people bring their US dollars and spend them here. So I guess the biggest threat to my way of life is gentrification.”

Ethan: “It’s really hot where we live. That’s my biggest threat.”

Grace: “Probably time management.”

Mahmoud: “I'm not really threatened by major things. I guess the unstable nature of the government of my home country because I come from Bangladesh, so there are a lot of uncertainties there. That could either get us in trouble or make our lives a little harder. But I'm away from all that, so I can't really say I feel threatened in any way.”

Aiden: “I think life is pretty good here in Thailand. I won’t get into the intricacies of Thai politics, but [...] to maintain one's way of life in general, I would highly advocate for democracy to prevail. That's all I'll say.”

Azman: “Personally, I think the only person who could pose a threat to my life is me. No matter what comes my way, if I decide to give up, then my way of life is done. I need to learn to adapt, to change, to find different solutions. There's always something you can do to make your situation better. I think the biggest threat to anyone in their life is themselves.”

Aiya: “Everything. No, I'm just kidding. Basically, maybe the environment around me. But everything is fine, honestly. I’m really thankful and grateful for this life. I’m not really threatened.”

Yuta: “Distractions. I get distracted a lot. Sometimes I’ve gotta stop myself and gather myself and focus on what is important and what isn’t. Our world is full of social media and TikTok reels… all that sh*t. It’s all distractions. You should focus on the main goal, whatever that is.”

Kim: “Income.”

Larry: “To my life directly, none. But if I want to talk about threats to life, to my children and my children's children... the fear that everything’s going the wrong way around the world. We need more freedoms.”

Vince: “I don't think there's one.”

Accra, Ghana

Nancy: “Poverty. We need money to do everything in this era. Waking up to the fact that there will be no money and everything will come to a stop is a threat to my life.”

Shadrach: “Bad governance. It affects every aspect of life. If you don’t have a good government that can come up with policies that improve your life, your life is at risk.”

Joyceline: “Not having money, because money runs the world.”

Ernest: “Let’s make it health. If you don’t have health, there’s nothing you can do. If you wake up and feel dizzy, you can’t complete the daily things you want to do.”

Felix: “Climate change. The sun is scorching too much where I’m standing right now. I’m feeling it. That’s the biggest threat in my life.”

Ansah: “Monetary issues in my work. In 10 years, what will be the future? Will my work be cancelled? There are always new initiatives, new products, new things coming. We’re always trying to adjust to the economy and society.”

Evans: “Sickness. Without good health, you can’t do anything. With positive health, I can do everything I want to do.”

Godwin: “I’m too direct. Maybe someone will get angry and knock me one day [laughs].”

Ruth: “In Ghana, we have good resources: water, forests, minerals. Illegal mining is a threat to our livelihoods when it comes to getting clean water. If it's not managed well, it could reach a point where we no longer have clean water to drink and might even have to import it. It needs to be managed now.”

Samuel: “Losing God. Losing me. When I give up on what I want to do, on my passion. I don't see people as threats, I don't even see my environment as a threat, because you can overcome it. But if you give up, it becomes a problem. So, my greatest threat is about myself, giving up on myself.”

Ebenezer: “Climate change is the biggest threat, not just to my way of life, but to our world currently. We need to mitigate its impact.” 

John: “The world is shifting away from divine peace. Caring for one another is now becoming very scarce. Powerful countries are preparing weapons. This is a fear, a greater fear. I fear for my children and the future of the world.”

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Erleyvaldo Bispo: “Probably the climate crisis. It’s a big challenge for young people in Brazil.”

Eduardo Bernardo Gomes: “Violence, that’s worrying.”

Tarcio: “The climate situation. The devastation of nature around the world could impact temperature and climate stability. That threatens human life.”

Victoria Luzia Zago: “Artificial intelligence. Technological progress makes me very scared, especially in the field of law, where everything is becoming automated.”

Brenno: “I think it’s pollution. It really messes up the world. Ice is melting. Pollution can cause harm.”

Maria Clara: “The constant need to produce. To keep producing, producing, producing. Living in that agitation. That’s the biggest threat for me.”

Silvia: “Ecological disasters. If we don’t preserve Mother Nature… We are like ants compared to this force. We need to respect, appreciate, and preserve this great force that is nature.”

Artur: “The biggest threat is the lack of education among the Brazilian people, the lack of respect. There’s no punishment for anything. You need a black belt to live well here.”

Mayara: “Politics, corruption, and violence. It will end everything.”

Anderson: “Pollution. Bad air quality. In 10 or 15 years, we might not even have trees.”

Maria: “Violence is the worst threat for us Brazilians right now.”

Tokyo, Japan

Interviewee 1: “I don't know how to answer this. I think that most of us are not respecting the culture of a lot of people and countries around us.”

Interviewee 2: “Too much caffeine.”

Interviewee 3: “Caffeine and technology.”

Interviewee 4: “Probably carcinogens.”

Interviewee 5: “People are struggling with day-to-day things. AI, climate change… All these problems are interconnected. There's no point in trying to solve climate change or improve the natural aspects of a certain area if the people living there are struggling. All these things need to happen in tandem. We've separated nature from humanity, and that's a bit of a false dichotomy.”

Interviewee 6: “I don't know if there is necessarily a major threat to my way of life. I suppose if a major war were to break out, if there were another major pandemic… But I think my way of life is probably one of the least at risk of all the ways of life on Earth. So I'm not too worried about mine. I'm more concerned about other people.”

Interviewee 7: To my way of life, probably the cost of living crisis and the housing crisis in Australia, especially in the city that I come from. And as someone who doesn't own property, that's pretty bad.”

Interviewee 8: “Greed and self-interest. We need to be working more as a community and be more concerned about how we can uplift the people around us and ensure that we stand against the people at the top who are just trying to preserve their own self-interest.”

Interviewee 9: “People who take things too seriously”.

Interviewee 10: “Street vloggers who record documentaries on the street.”

Interviewee 11: “If they make having fun illegal.”

A Global South World video series

This video is part of Global South World’s series exploring global opinions on pressing issues.

You can share your thoughts on our Facebook , Instagram , YouTube , TikTok , or X posts.

In previous videos, we asked:

Is the US a friendly power?

Are you scared of AI?

Is capitalism working?

Should smoking be banned?

Is Elon Musk a visionary or a threat?

Are you worried about climate change?

Stay tuned for more perspectives.

Here’s what they said.

You can share your thoughts on our Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube or X posts.

Bangkok, Thailand

Ayush: "Absolutely. I did a whole project in school where we calculated the amount of trash each district and tile in Bangkok produces. And it turns out that there is more trash produced than there are people accounting for it because there are so many people living outside the system. Nobody sorts their trash. No one recycles. No one cares about composting. No one cares about recycling metals. We are contributing so negatively to climate change right now."

Ethan: "No. We’re in Thailand and it’s hot."

Grace: "Absolutely. I think this is one of the hugest or most prevalent problems facing the entire world right now. And it's not just an individual issue. It's a global issue that everyone should give more importance to."

Mahmoud: "Yes and no. Over time, history sort of repeats itself. Call me an optimist. We can't deny what's going on in reality but I think we will do just enough to get it done, to keep our environment safe."

Aiden: "Yes. We are on track to almost reaching the irreversible point. It’s a global issue that should be at the forefront of everyone's minds."

Azman: "For me, obviously yes. It kind of affects us in a certain way, but more than us, I feel like it will affect people in the future. The major effects, I don’t think we will see for quite a while. A lot of people predict it will be happening soon, but I don't think so. I'm more concerned about future generations. There’s a saying: 'Hand the world back as beautiful as it was when it was handed to you.' That’s the hope."

Aiya: "I really do. I really care about the country, the environment, the animals. And I like how people are living. I want clean air for all of us and sustainable stuff. We’ve got to be more sustainable nowadays because the world is going down."

Yuta: "Yes. I feel like the past few generations have done a lot of damage to our planet. And now, as the youngest generation, we have to look after and mend what they’ve done. So I’m worried because it is our Earth. We all share it."

Fam: "I think I am. The last time I visited the UK, it was winter and it was getting warm. There are a lot of disasters going on in our country, especially where I live in the Philippines. I'm actually worried, but at the same time, what are we trying to do?"

Kim: "Hell yeah."

Larry: "No."

Accra, Ghana

Nancy: "I'm worried about climate change because the climate affects our living conditions here. Currently, the weather is very hot and it's making life very unbearable for us."

Shadrach: "Yes, because it affects every aspect of life."

Joyceline: "Definitely. Being an African and a Ghanaian in particular, yes, I'm worried about climate change. Any change in climate has bad effects on us."

Ernest : "Yes, I would say I'm worried a little bit because as it stands now, the weather keeps changing time and time again."

Felix: "Yes, I'm worried about climate change. The developed countries are destroying the climate, and Africans are suffering."

Ansah: "Yes, in a way. We've been seeing on the news how it's affecting our environment. I believe it’s a threat to our nation and the world as a whole."

Evans: "Yes. We can all see and testify to the fact that the environment itself has changed."

Godwin: "Very worried. Recent disasters tell us that very soon the world will be in crisis. The world's population is growing, so climate change can lead to food insecurity."

Ruth: "Climate change should be something we should all be worried about. Looking at the free, clean air we have now… We don't want to get to a point where we struggle to even get that."

Samuel: "I'm worried to some extent. Look at the changes in our weather conditions, our environment, and the unpredictability of everything. I’m very worried, especially these days."

Ebenezer: "Climate change is something that we all should be worried about. In Ghana, you start seeing the effects. Everyone and everything, whether we like it or not, is impacted by climate change. We’re seeing temperatures and sea levels rise beyond normal. It’s a global phenomenon, and we should all be concerned."

John: "I'm very worried about climate change. Everything that comes with it is a threat to the survival of humanity. I'm therefore very worried."

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Erleyvaldo: "Yes, because in Brazil, it’s a big challenge."

Eduardo: "Yes, for sure. It’s very important."

Tarcio: "It’s always worrying, isn’t it? The problem is that climate change impacts the entire planet."

Victoria: "A lot, especially here in Brazil with deforestation occurring in the Amazon."

Brenno: "Yes, we are very concerned. I think Brazil has been contributing more and more, introducing recyclable waste initiatives, and that helps a lot. It’s important to keep moving in that direction because global warming could cause significant harm."

Maria Clara: "Yes, a lot, especially here in Rio. I often think about how we’re going to live in the future because temperatures here in Brazil just keep increasing, and we really suffer from this heat. And in the rest of the world, there are climate imbalances in various places."

Silvia: "We are very concerned about environmental and climate changes. What we can do today is encourage recycling and avoid consuming meat. We also contribute by not owning a car."

Artur: "I think there's a lot of politics involved. It's sad, but that’s Brazil."

Mayara: "Yes. We do what we can to preserve nature. But I see that most people in our country don’t."

Anderson: "Of course, yes. I have a lot of siblings, including a little sister. I see that in the future the air will be even worse than it is now. There’s no basic sanitation in the favela, and it’s only going to get worse. It will be worse for them than for me."

Maria: "Very worried. Grandchildren will come, and we don’t know what the future will be like."

Tokyo, Japan

Interviewee 1: "It looks like it's going to affect a lot. So yeah, a little bit."

Interviewee 2: "Yes."

Interviewee 3: "I’d say moderately. I have some concerns."

Interviewee 4: "Definitely. I think it’s one of the biggest issues we’re facing at the moment. There hasn’t really been enough action taken in any capacity. I think a lot of the blame has been shifted onto individuals. But in reality, it’s really a bunch of companies that are responsible for most of the emissions. They need to be held accountable for us to have any chance, any progress."

Interviewee 5: "I’m worried about climate change. I think not enough people are worried about it and that’s the biggest issue right now. There’s more education around it now, and we’re seeing the effects more. But it doesn’t feel like the panic is increasing and that’s concerning."

Interviewee 6: "I’m personally quite worried about it. But what worries me the most is that we’re still having debates over whether climate change exists rather than focusing on what to do about it. That's really where the discussion currently sits. And there's obviously a lot of nuance there. But what worries me, I think, is the indication of larger problems, and the fact we're still discussing whether it exists or not in certain places."

Interviewee 7: "Absolutely, yes. It’s one of the biggest threats to humanity today, among a myriad of other things."

Interviewee 8: "Yes. Climate change is very worrying."

Interviewee 9: "Yeah, I think it’s a problem."

Interviewee 10:  "Yeah, I think we haven’t got much time left, so we need to work on it."

A Global South World video series

This video is part of Global South World’s series exploring global opinions on pressing issues.

You can share your thoughts on our Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , YouTube or X posts.

In previous videos, we asked:

Is the US a friendly power?

Are you scared of AI?

Is capitalism working?

Should smoking be banned?

Is Elon Musk a visionary or a threat?

Stay tuned for more perspectives.