LettersIn age of climate whiplash, Asian solutions need philanthropic support
Readers discuss how philanthropy can respond to Asia’s climate challenges, the mismatch between Hong Kong’s ride-hailing cap and the reality of gig work, and the data centre rush
Somewhere in Asia, a child is getting their education interrupted because floods have made the journey to school unsafe; a fisherman is heading further out to sea, chasing waters that no longer behave the same way.
Home to over 4.8 billion people, Asia is where climate change is no longer a future risk but a daily reality – extreme heat in crowded cities, stronger floods, disrupted harvests and rising health risks.
Yet these pressures are not felt equally. Low-income families, informal workers, older people, children, women and communities living in high-risk areas often face the sharpest impacts with the fewest resources to adapt. Climate change, in this sense, deepens the inequalities already present in society.
But there is another side to the story. The same region is also home to solutions already taking shape, from mangrove restoration and cooling models to climate-smart farming, health preparedness and clean energy access.