Southeast Asia faces significant climate threats, and digital solutions are crucial to enhancing resilience. A recent Google and Deloitte report highlights that digital transformation can help the region prepare for weather-related disasters, reduce economic losses, and strengthen climate defences. The report, Digital as a Key Enabler for Climate Action: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Perspective, stresses the interconnectedness of climate change and digital progress, particularly in developing APAC nations with fewer resources.
In 2022, nearly 13 million people in Southeast Asia were affected by floods, typhoons, wildfires, and extreme temperatures, and the region is recognized as the most hazard-prone globally. Southeast Asia’s dual challenge is adapting to climate change driven by emissions from advanced economies while also rethinking development strategies that exacerbate global warming.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) highlights digital transformation as essential to future-proofing cities and economies. Failing to embrace digital technologies will hinder disaster preparedness and socioeconomic progress. Weather-related disasters are projected to reduce Southeast Asia’s GDP by 11% by the end of the century, with markets facing severe economic losses if climate change remains unchecked. In the worst scenario, countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand could lose more than seven times their 2019 GDP by 2050. Read More
News Credit: Eco-Business
Picture Credit: Toomas Tartes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Unsplash