The biggest challenges facing ASEAN are crisis preparation and climate change. From 2004 to 2014, half of the global disaster fatalities were ASEAN citizens. The economic impact of natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, have resulted in US$91 billion of economic damage. Climate risk and...
As part of the Ecosperity Conversations series, the Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) partnered with Temasek to organise a webinar, Infrastructure of the Future: Financing Sustainable Growth in ASEAN, on 14 August 2020. Speakers included Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of the SIIA, Ms....
The SIIA’s New Horizons series kicked off on 19 August 2020, Wednesday with a high-level roundtable discussion on “What’s Next for the Region and the World?” where we examined how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the region and the world and what economic recovery looks like moving...
The Haze Outlook report released by the SIIA in late June forecasts a moderate risk of a severe transboundary haze incident this year. One reason for the forecast is that resources to prevent and mitigate the fires would largely be diverted to the government's efforts...
By Simon Tay and Sarah Loh For the Asia Media Centre The COVID-19 pandemic has affected lives and livelihoods across the world, but there has been little global leadership. Each country has responded in its own way and primarily with its own resources, and with varying outcomes. As...
By Simon Tay and Jessica Wau For the Straits Times The region is entering a difficult period with pandemic numbers climbing and closed borders hitting business, trade and tourism. Economies are slowing or even contracting. Some voices in neighbouring countries are turning towards nationalism and protectionism - becoming...
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted everyday life on a global scale and thrown economies into disarray. For the SIIA Haze Outlook 2020 report, we interviewed private sector, government, academia, and NGO representatives to understand the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the risk of fires...
By Sharon See, The Straits Times Singapore: Closing doors to focus on national priorities during a pandemic is a false answer, a Singapore-based think tank suggested on Thursday, and what Asean needs is instead greater transparency and integration for a strong recovery. "The right answer is actually...
Associate Professor Simon Tay, Chairman of SIIA, spoke to CNBC on how ASEAN countries are emerging after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As lockdown restrictions ease, political schisms in some ASEAN countries have become more prominent. Without sufficient political will, there are concerns...
While many companies are remaining committed to sustainable practices despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the SIIA believes that regulators, financial institutions and NGOs also have important roles to play to ensure that companies uphold good standards of environmental protection, engagement with workers and suppliers, and supply...