As the Philippines braces for lower rice yields from El Niño, farm experts warn that Middle East disruption could make 2027’s harvest more vulnerable by raising fertiliser costs just as tighter water supplies constrain planting.
Former environment minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad warned prolonged delays to Malaysia's climate change bill and carbon pricing risk undermining investor confidence, while other panellists called for climate change to be treated as a national security issue and greater investment in adaptation.