Heavy rainfall across the region was caused by the combination of natural phenomena and climate change but in Indonesia's Sumatra, where the most lives have been lost, the scale of disaster was worsened by deforestation.

Studio EB A new Climate Change Act expected to introduce mandatory emissions reporting and reshape the nation’s business landscape will further accelerate Thai companies’ push to decarbonise and stay globally competitive, says UOB Thailand sustainability chief Chow Wong Yuen.

COP30 needs a dedicated political commitment addressing how to put the global goal into action, write two climate diplomacy experts.

Kuala Lumpur must confront weak local governance, shrinking green spaces and rising urban heat, said the former environment minister. The challenge now is to adapt and manoeuvre wisely, drawing on lessons from a time when Southeast Asian cities were once seamlessly embedded in nature.