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Typhoon impacts in the Philippines exhibit strong neighbourhood-scale heterogeneity driven by interactions among hazard intensity, exposure, and vulnerability, yet most operational assessments remain hazard-centric. This study presents a grid-based machine-learning framework for neighbourhood-scale typhoon risk mapping integrating geophysical...

This paper examines the governance of agrivoltaics (AV) in the context of Japan’s rapid rural depopulation and farmland abandonment. While AV is traditionally framed as a solution to land-use competition, this study argues that in shrinking regions, the primary challenge is not land scarcity but a shortage of human capacity to manage...

Highland regions in Thailand are increasingly vulnerable to climate change due to rapid land-use transitions, environmental degradation, and shifting socio-economic conditions. This Discussion Papaer examines the drivers and dimensions of vulnerability in the Thai highlands, with particular attention to the expansion of maize cultivation and...

Inadequate national implementation efforts, particularly policies and budgets, could be an important reason why the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are off track. Identification and assessment of policies and budgets should be a major focus of the SDG follow-up and review process, especially the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), to strengthen...

This study provides an indicative comparative assessment of the factors underlying these challenges by examining policy content, regulatory enforcement, and institutional capacity related to OWB across ten selected Asian countries: Cambodia, China, India, Iraq, Jordan, Laos, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Thailand. The researchers employed a...

In October 2025, an extraordinary session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee was held. Negotiations took place on a draft amendment to the Convention aimed at achieving the international target of ‘GHG emissions from international shipping by around 2050’. Japan has been co-sponsoring the proposal alongside Europe and leading the...

Plastic pollution has emerged as a critical global challenge, with the ASEAN+3 region identified as a major hotspot due to high emission levels and persistent gaps in waste management systems. This handbook offers a comprehensive, evidence-based overview for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, presented in two main parts. Part I provides...

In recent years, plastic pollution has emerged as a growing threat around the globe. The gravity of this issue called for negotiations on an international legally binding instrument. As an area that is heavily influenced by and reliant on its marine resources, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region views plastic pollution as a...

Plastic, which makes up 10%–13% of daily municipal solid waste at a global level, is a major component of solid waste (Kibria et al., 2023). The growing population, rapid urbanisation, and ongoing industrial development are key drivers behind the escalating plastic waste crisis, leading to serious, human-made environmental challenges that threaten...

As plastics are utilised in a broad range of sectors, there are various kinds of plastic pollution sources. A United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report assessing marine litter and plastic pollution identified major land-based pollution sources to the ocean (UNEP, 2021). While landfills are regarded as one of the major sources, other...