Climate change poses a fundamental threat to human health, affecting both the physical environment and aspects of natural and human systems. The Asia-Pacific region is vast and geographically diverse, spanning from the Himalayas to the tiny island states in the Pacific. Due to this diversity, the region encompasses all climate zones, resulting in a wide range of weather patterns from the monsoons in South and Southeast Asia, tropical cyclones in the Pacific, and the extreme snowy winter in Siberia.
The Asia-Pacific region faces a daunting spectrum of natural disasters and stands at the forefront of the climate crisis. Its coastal regions are particularly threatened by rising sea levels and cyclones, while its lowlands and the central dry zone are vulnerable to the impacts of floods and droughts. A person living in Asia-Pacific is six times more likely to be affected by disaster events than someone living outside the region.
Against this backdrop, it is pertinent to note that as the climate crisis intensifies, the Asia- Pacific region stands at the centre of both its worsening impacts and its most transformative potential solutions. This story series aims to capture the disproportionate impact of the climate emergency on vulnerable communities in the region and the human stories that drive communities in building and maintaining resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
The Philippines is ranked as the number one country with the highest disaster risk from extreme weather events. It experiences an average of 20 typhoons every year. The impact of extreme weather events is noted to become more severe as sea levels rise at a rate of 5 to 7 millimeters per year, surpassing the global average of 2.8 to 3.6 millimeters. Flooding caused by Typhoons Nesat and Nalgae in 2011 affected over 1.5 million people.