Disasters know no borders; climate change escalation requires shared ASEAN response: Edwin Tong

Climate change is intensifying natural disasters, and Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong emphasized that resilience is no longer optional. Tong highlighted that disasters also know no borders, making solidarity and collective action in ASEAN critical. Speaking at the ASEAN Strategic Policy Dialogue on Disaster Management 2026, Tong pointed out that the 10th anniversary of the One ASEAN One Response declaration marked a decade of increased speed, scale, and solidarity in ASEAN's disaster response.

Despite improvements, Tong stressed that natural disasters have worsened in both scale and frequency, and their unpredictability has grown. He extended condolences to Indonesia and the Philippines, who are currently facing earthquakes and tropical cyclones. Tong also mentioned the deadly Mandalay earthquake in Myanmar and Cyclone Senyar, which caused widespread devastation in Southeast Asia.

World Meteorological Organization warned of a super El Nino in 2026, which could lead to more severe heatwaves and droughts with severe consequences for food security and public health. Tong emphasized that natural disasters do not respect national boundaries and require regional solutions. As Singapore will take up the ASEAN chairmanship in 2027, it aims to deepen collective preparedness and resilience through hosting the 10th ASEAN Regional Disaster Emergency Response Simulation Exercise and advancing ASEAN's climate and environmental agenda.

Tong stressed the need to move beyond reactive responses and embed anticipatory thinking into disaster management, suggesting that ASEAN is well-placed to build on its strong foundations and extend its capabilities to the broader international community.