Kim J. DeRidder

The Asia-Pacific is the most disaster-prone region in the world, a status made worse by the increasing impacts of climate change, ranging from increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, including heavy rains and cyclones, often resulting in massive floods, landslides, and storm surge; as well as other severe climatic events, such… Read more

As COP26 nears an end in Glasgow, Scotland, it’s time to reflect on the consequences of Asia’s lack of climate-resilient infrastructure.

USAID’s Mekong Safeguards Program hosted Promoting Sustainable Infrastructure via Innovative Financing–Real-world Cases and Best Practices in the Region. The webinar featured speakers from Oxfam, Climate Bonds Initiative, Mekong For the Future implemented by WWF, and opening remarks by Aaron Brownell, director for USAID’s Regional Environment Offic… Read more

As countries adopt massive stimulus packages to get their post-Covid economies moving again, they have a unique opportunity to get them moving in the right direction.

The Covid-19 crisis has had a lasting global impact and has forced governments to implement stimulus packages to help their economies recover. While addressing immediate social and healthcare needs is critical, a concerted effort is needed to incorporate climate goals into country-level Covid-19 responses. However, government stimulus packages are… Read more

The year of the pandemic was a long, discontented winter that the glorious sun forgot. But it was a year we dug deep into the voices and ideas of our colleagues across Asia in our new InAsia Podcast.

If humanity can put our economies on hold to fight a global threat like Covid-19, why haven’t we been able to take similar measures to confront a global killer like climate change?

The Asia Foundation recently participated in the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. On July 3rd, the Government of Mongolia opened the three-day conference which was attended by over 3,000 participants including over 50 countries and 1,500 organizations. The conference, held every two years, is an organized collaboration… Read more

Approximately 12 percent of the world’s population relies upon fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihood, and over half of the world’s people get a significant source of their animal protein from fish and seafood. In Southeast Asia, this proportion is significantly higher. The region’s seas not only serve as a major source of food and liveliho… Read more