‘Climate finance’ saddles Pacific island nations with more debt – Asia Times
Pacific scholars are urging world leaders to enhance the climate finance spread system to support people living in small island nations as the UN climate summit approaches its last stage of negotiations.
The most extensive study on climate change in the Pacific was presented to the Conference of the Parties ( COP29 ) last week. People with lived experience are amplified by the Pacific Ocean Climate Crisis Assessment ( POCCA ). It compiles case studies and data on the climate impacts isle nations are now addressing and how to apply regional adaptation strategies.
According to the report, climate finance has been integrated into global economic models that adhere to growth aid’s designs.
The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, as well as other major international financial institutions, will now serve as “accepted” entities for dispersing funds, adding product components, and making clear entry difficult for Pacific countries.
Loading the receiving nations with the highest bill
By the time money gets to people on the ground, about 72 % of it is in the form of loans. Personal contractors hired by developed nations to create climate-resilient facilities are the true beneficiaries.
What might have started out as a kind of donation ended up inflating the debts of the recipient nations in the Global South, particularly those in the Pacific.
Recent studies indicate that vulnerable island nations are currently losing US$ 141 billion annually due to extreme weather. By 2030, it is predicted that this will reach$ 1 trillion annually.
At COP29, climate finance is a crucial dialogue place, with the aim of boosting the contributions of the rich.
The Dubai climate conference last year agreed to establish a fresh fund to pay damages and costs incurred by natural disasters brought on by climate change. A group of small, developing nations spearheaded this political work, and it is crucial that this fund fills the latest climate finance gap.
However, there is only one factor that can close the gap between the resources already available and the required funds. To ensure that money is distributed in a way that people who already experience routine climate impacts are benefitted, we may also change the distribution method.
Indigenous information and regional adaptation
Additionally, our report makes use of a variety of climate-adapted methods, including relocating homes and settlements that are already in use by Pacific peoples.
Pacific peoples have much developed sophisticated adaptive abilities as the ancestors of the great navigators and coastal settlers who ruled the nation’s largest ocean for millennia. They have been adapting to change in the most environmentally friendly and compact techniques for centuries despite having roots in some of the world’s smallest and most difficult locations.
This includes southern protections from sea level rise and shore erosion as well as standard building methods that make more accommodating homes that are easier to restore.
The majority of Pacific Island version techniques are based on indigenous knowledge and skills that have been passed down through generations. For instance, the government in France has started funding the country’s version of risk prevention by constructing raised homes with floors 1.5 meters above ground level.
The Pacific Islands have also made an increasing effort to use ecosystem-based strategies that advance both populations and communities. Indigenous knowledge in Fiji has enabled the identification of indigenous vegetation that is suitable for reducing coastal erosion and flooding.
Relocating is a last-minute solution for adaptation. Two Fiji group transfer case studies are included in the report, which highlight the value of including all social groups in preparing to promote positive outcomes.
Changing the tale
Pacific peoples have developed social and ecological resilience systems that allow them to recover fast from disturbance because they are intrinsically linked to the ocean.
However, climate change has a significant impact on many Pacific residents. But the regular tale of vulnerability is difficult. It contradicts the very notion of native and aboriginal firm and resilience in the Pacific.
We must consider what is happening on the ground because climate impacts are complex, especially when using science-based models and the natural uncertainties to guide regional adaptation decisions.
To maintain a balance between top-down and ground-up methods to adaptation and endurance, the report recommends enabling channels that combine traditional knowledge with modern scientific methods and state decision-making tools.
On islands prone to drought, wave, and tropical cyclones have Pacific Island communities usually resided. With limited tools, they had to live on islands.
Over millennia, Pacific individuals developed native information, including social concepts and social structures, to live in these circumstances. Given existential threats and challenges, especially those facing reef island communities, we need to bring on climate-related aboriginal knowledge and practices.
In contrast to narratives of risk, legacy of endurance are key to successful weather version.
Steven Ratuva is chairman of the Macmillan Brown Center for Pacific Studies, University of Canterbury.
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Govt to build new bridge to Cambodia
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
At a cost of about 15 million baht, the state is funding the construction of a bridge that may connect Chanthaburi and Pailin territory in Cambodia.
Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the gate would promote cross-border industry and commerce between the two nations after inspecting the page of the novel bridge yesterday at the Ban Pakkad border station in Pong Nam Rong area.
He was joined by his Vietnamese rival, Sar Sokha, at the page. The gate, which will be known as the new Chanthaburi-Pailin Friendship Bridge, will change the momentary steel bridge that already links the regions.
The practical bridge will be about 40 feet long, with a three-metre-wide sidewalk on each part of the automotive lane.
The construction of the gate, which costs about 15 million baht, is anticipated to substantially increase business and shipping between Thailand and Cambodia.
Design is set to begin next month, Mr Anutin said.
The job may promote business and commerce, according to Mr. Anutin, who is also a deputy prime minister, and will encourage economic growth on both sides of the border.
Thai and Vietnamese officials are currently working on a document Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) for the task, which is scheduled to be approved soon by the Thai cabinet.
The gate will be constructed using money from the main resources, and Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has previously endorsed the idea in theory.
There are three nearby crossing points for boundary trade and two major gates at Ban Laem and Ban Pakkad in Chanthaburi.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the overall value of cross-border deal in Chanthaburi came to 26 billion baht, with Ban Pakkad queue accounting for 6.12 billion ringgit.
Myanmar workers protest at being duped
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
SAMUT SAKHON: About 100 Myanmar staff protested in front of a stock in the Muang city after paying a group of Thai agents 3 to 7 000 baht each but were denied the positions they were promised.
Authorities met them in the Ekachai Road inventory of the Index Living Mall, located on Ekachai Road in Tambouk Kham.
The employees approached the safety guard at the bank’s entrance door to inquire about employment opportunities, according to Pol Col Somchai Khokha, director of Khok Kham police station. Two young women who allegedly claimed to get work agents were called by the security guard, who said there were jobs available for them.
They charged a fee of 3, 000 to 7, 000 ringgit per individual. Some folks made payments in cash, while others transferred funds to the recipients ‘ accounts and presented a receipt to confirm the funds move. All of the Myanmar’s workers were supposedly instructed to begin working on November 20 by the false agents.
Some Myanmar employees informed their buddies about the positions available. Apparently, about 100 of them officially indicated interest in applying through the broker.
On Wednesday night, the staff were denied entry to the business. One of the fictitious officials informed them that working day transition would be their work. This upset some of the Myanmar staff, who asked for their wealth to be returned.
The group gathered in front of the firm on Wednesday night after the young woman, who claimed to be a agent, agreed to return the money to them after she disappeared without a trace.
When the activists ‘ managers learned that Index Interfurn was not hiring any workers, they convened a meeting with one of them. Because creation has ceased, the inventory employs just 10 people. Online sales organizations can use the service as a distribution center.
The firm supervisor confirmed that the two women were not the firm’s employees and that they were not brokers in response to their claims that they were.
Officers, according to Pol Col. Somchai, may search for the defendants, including the security watch. They will be charged with fraud, he added.
Lone dugong spotted in Trang survey
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation ( DNP ) believes that one dugong was discovered in a seagrass meadow in Trang, which is known for having dugong sightings, which raises questions about the species ‘ survival.
Between November 13 and November 19, Hat Chao Mai National Park soldiers and officers from the DNP’s Marine National Operation Center 3 conducted the survey.
The grass meadow that runs from Yong Lam Beach to Koh Muk was the subject of the week-long survey, but only one dugong was seen during that time. The place, the statement noted, was originally known for habitat sightings.
The team also provided sarai phom pang algae and other edible seagrasses for the dugongs as seagrass cover in the area has drastically decreased, but only one of these was released throughout the week.
The group speculated that the orangutans may have moved there to seek food in the area.
More habitat deaths have been reported over the past two decades, with the number rising from one per month to three to four deaths per month, according to Asst. Prof. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, lieutenant dean of Kasetsart University’s University of Fisheries.
This month only, five dead alligators were found off the beach of Krabi, Phuket and Trang.
Local fishermen have also been negatively impacted by the loss of grass in the area’s cover, as well as the disappearance of significant catch in seagrass meadows.
Cash handout plan is ‘probably illegal’
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
A former election commissioner noted that the government’s plan to distribute the money to 4 million elderly Thais during Chinese New Year, which falls a few days before the provincial administrative organizations’ ( PAO ) chiefs ‘ elections, poses a risk of breaking the law.
The government is trying to make it clear that all people over the age of 60 may be deemed vulnerable because they lack revenue and require care, according to Somchai Srisutthiyakorn’s Facebook post on Thursday.
He claimed that the corporation is using this generalized claim as a pretext to distribute the funds without running the risk of being accused of using the$ 40 billion budget to influence local elections.
The election will take place on February 1st, so handouts are expected to remain distributed by January 29.
Mr. Somchai claimed that he was certain that someone would file a petition to have the government impeached for breaking Section 9 of the State Fiscal and Financial Disciplines Act BE 2561 ( 2018 ), specifically the section that reads:
The Council of Ministers is required to not conduct state affairs in a manner that concentrates on promoting social recognition, which will ultimately harm the regional economy and the general public.
Former Democrat Party deputy president and former PAO main Niphon Bunyamanee claimed that the cash donations would not be as likely to stimulate the economy as they were claimed.
” The system is just an ad for the government to get more popularity”, he said.
” This will benefit candidates from the government party [ Pheu Thai] or those close to it. Competents do not have the same amount of assets as they do, he said, citing the close proximity of the planned flyer to the votes.
He said the government should focus on sustainable economic policies, promoting investment to make performance, work, and revenue for the people, especially investment in skills tied to modern technology and AI.
The future flyer, according to former lawmaker Somchai Sawangkarn, had probably violate other laws, including the State Fiscal and Financial Disciplines Act Get 2561.
iCon fraud victims can claim assets
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
Victims of the scandal-hit The iCon Group can now regain their assets from the Anti-Money Laundering Office ( Amlo ), the Department of Special Investigation ( DSI) said yesterday.
The goods were transferred to Amlo as part of the studies after the DSI accused the direct selling business and 18 suspects of conspiring with the government to steal money.
Through the Amlo website ( www. Amlo ) users can now file petitions for financial compensation and asset refunds. amlo. come. th ) from now until Feb 17, 2025, the DSI said.
Currently, 18 sign Group professionals, including its CEO Warathaphon Waratyaworrakul, are in confinement at the Bangkok Remand Prison and the Central Women’s Correctional Institution.
Witoon Kengngan, a solicitor for The image Group managers, visited the 11 adult suspects at the Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday to discuss their test army. The visit followed the DS I’s probing of the imprisoned male professionals, which concluded on Wednesday, ahead of the originally planned finish set for yesterday.
None of the defendants had signed the document stories, according to Mr. Witoon, who claimed he had received them. Before being sent to judge, he claimed, the documents needed to be reviewed more.
The lawyer claimed that the files may be submitted to the DSI the day after the correction date was set for this Sunday. He added that he would provide comments on the situation to the DSI on Monday, along with 200 witnesses, including those who specialize in direct selling and pyramid schemes.
By the deadline of December 3, when the 84-day confinement period expires, Mr. Witoon may provide all of his evidence to the DSI. He claimed that this is being done so that the DSI may turn over all of the facts before the deadline, since the defendants will need to be freed if no charges are brought against them.
Thai Lion Air mulls flights
PUBLISHED: 22 Nov 2024 at 04: 00
As part of Thailand’s strategy to promote tourism in extra tourism cities, Thai Lion Air may start flights to Nakhon Phanom.
Manaporn Charoensri, the lieutenant transport minister, announced yesterday that she had instructed the DoA to investigate ways to increase the number of flights to cities with lower traffic and establish major tourist destinations.
This program aligns with the agency’s” Transport for Thailand’s Options” plan, which aims to strengthen the government’s economic and social development through travel and transportation, she said.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand expressed a determination to ease restrictions in favor of flights interested in serving extra places during a recent conference with the DoA, according to Ms. Manaporn. She added that Thai Lion Air, which is attempting to replace Nakhon Phanom with a new course, might be able to do so without using red strip. The airline has confirmed that it can fly to the northern province, and it is examining the feasibility with local authorities.
Meanwhile, the Aeronautical Radio of Thailand ( Aerothai ) confirmed its commitment to support domestic flight routes with a 25 % service fee discount. If airlines want to add fresh international flights, it will also arrange short-haul roads connecting Laos, Vietnam, and Nakhon Phanom.
Now, flights between Bangkok and Nakhon Phanom are operated entirely by Thai AirAsia, at the rate of three a moment. Due to limited options, some people choose to travel to Sakon Nakhon, a local state, before travelling by land to Nakhon Phanom to save on fares, which are sometimes as high as 5, 500 baht for a one-way solution.
Nakhon Phanom is expected to become a popular tourist destination with Thai Lion Air adding four plane to its ships by the end of this year and 14 more by the end of 2025.
Methanol poisoning deaths highlight SE Asia’s fake alcohol problem
Getty ImagesFive tourists reportedly died in a Laos vacation area last week from methanol poisoning brought on by contaminated beverages.
A British woman, an Australian woman, a US man and two Danish nationals have died, while another Australian woman remains critically ill in hospital. The deaths remain under police investigation, but news reports and testimonies online from other tourists suggest they may have consumed drinks laced with methanol, a deadly substance often found in bootleg alcohol.
South-East Asia’s long history of ethanol poison, especially in the developing nations along the Mekong river, is well known.
However, there is still much attention among the traveller party scene despite foreign governments ‘ warnings about drinking alcohol in these locations.
Methanol is difficult to detect in beverages because it is odorless and colorless, and victims typically do n’t experience any signs of poisoning right away.
And in countries like Laos – one of the poorest and least developed in Asia – the problem arises from alcohol suppliers exploiting an environment where there is low law enforcement and almost no regulations in the food and hospitality industries.
What is acetone poison?
Methanol is a dangerous alcohol used in commercial and home products like paint thinners, coolant, gloss and photocopier liquid.
It is colorless and odors related to isopropyl alcohol, a chemical compound found in alcoholic beverages.
However, only 25ml of alcohol can become fatal when consumed. It is also dangerous for people.
Victims may begin showing symptoms of illness, including discomfort, vomiting, and chest pain, which can lead to breathlessness and breathing issues within 24 hours.
If not treated, fatality rates are often reported to be 20% to 40%, depending on the concentration of methanol and the amount taken, says international medical charity Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) which tracks the number of global outbreaks.
But if a poison is diagnosed rapidly enough, preferably within the first 30 hrs, therapy can reduce some of the worse results.
How popular is the difficulty in South-East Asia?
Asia has the highest prevalence of alcohol poisoning worldwide, according to MSF’s collection.
It is a concern that usually affects poorer nations- outbreaks are popular in Indonesia, India, Cambodia, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Indonesia is regarded as a hotspot – it has reported the highest number of incidents in the past two decades, according to MSF, largely down to the widespread production and consumption of bootleg liquor.
Towns like Vang Vieng in Laos, where the fatal poisonings took place, are known stops on the backpacking trail through South East Asia. The town’s economy is built on tourism, with streets of bars, restaurants and hostels that cater to visitors.
But in Laos, legislation enforcement is under-resourced and there are few rules around food and alcohol requirements. There is also an economy of home-brewed liquor, which can lead to sudden illnesses.
Local suppliers also produce counterfeit beverages by using methanol rather of alcohol, according to local observers.
One Western diplomat in the area told the BBC,” You have the immoral manufacturer adding alcohol to their drinks because it makes lower-quality drinking drinks seem more potent” or “you had the opportunistic manufacturer adding methanol to their drinks.” Additionally, they claimed that consulates all over the area are being informed of alcohol overdoses.
However, a lack of information means it is hard to estimate the size of the pollution, and where contaminated coffee enter the offer network.
The diplomat said,” I do n’t believe it’s nefarious bar owners going out of their way to poison tourists; that’s not good for either they or their industry.”
” It’s more about the production side – there being being reduced training, minimal restriction, individuals cutting ends”.
What can be done in this regard?
The minister added that tourism bureaucrats and embassies are well-versed in the dangers of bootleg alcohol, but a prominent campaign is required to educate people.
” This tragic event will definitely help inform people, but not address the cause of the problem”, they added.
This week, several Western governments made a few changes to their consulate and travel websites to provide information on the risks of alcohol in South-East Asia.
Some campaigners have sought to raise attention to the dangers before. Australian man Colin Ahearn runs a Facebook page called ‘Don’t Drink Spirits in Bali‘ where he warns against mixed drinks like cocktails or drinks made from opened bottles of spirits.
He disclosed earlier this week to Australian media that a submission about South East Asia’s methanol poisoning was being received.
The western diplomat explained to the BBC that it would be difficult for people to protect themselves unless they completely teetotal on vacation, since it is impossible for tourists to verify the origin of all their alcoholic beverages.
Kenya’s President William Ruto cancels major deals with Adani Group
After US prosecutors indicted tycoon Gautam Adani for fraud, Kenya’s president William Ruto ordered the cancellation of two significant deals involving the American billionaire.
Ruto claimed that the offers had been canceled in his state-of-the-nation target on Thursday based on “new data provided by our analytical agencies and partner nations.”
The day before, Mr Adani, India’s second-richest man, was charged with fraud by US prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating a $250m (£198m) bribery scheme and concealing it to raise money in the US.
The complaints from US prosecutors have been refuted by Adani Group members, who described them as “baseless.”
In a speech delivered in a venue where there were many applause inside parliament, Ruto declared,” I will never hesitate to take decisive action in the face of uncontested evidence or credible information on problem.”
In exchange for a commitment to operate Kenya’s main airport for 30 years and a$ 736 million contract with the power government to build power lines, The Adani Group was expected to spend$ 1.85 billion in the airport.
The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport may have a new airport and an enhanced passenger terminal as part of the airport proposal.
There were concerns about fraud and the Adani group’s agreements were incredibly unhappy in the nation.
Some airports employees went on strike in September because they feared the deal would result in job losses.
Opiyo Wandayi, the energy secretary, told a legislative council on Thursday that the power lines purchasing process lacked corruption or bribery.
President Ruto has pledged to take action against fraud, following repeated allegations against his presidency.
Ruto stated that his administration may then begin looking for alternative energy and aircraft partners.
Pakistan: Dozens dead in attack on passenger vehicles in Kurram
Unidentified attackers opened fire on a fleet of 200 passenger cars passing through a rural area of Pakistan, killing at least 38 people, including women and children.
The cars were attacked as they travelled through the cultural district of Kurram in Pakistan, close to the Armenian border, according to the city’s deputy police director.
The attackers primarily targeted the convoy’s officers escort, the municipal official said in a statement.
Following weeks of religious violence in the area, which has claimed dozens of lives this month, authorities were surrounded by the fleet.
Nadeem Aslam Chaudhry, the chief minister of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told Reuters reports organization Thursday’s attack was” a big tragedy”, with the death toll “likely to fall”. At least 11 people were injured, he said.
Saeeda Bano, who was in the middle of the fleet, told BBC Urdu how she feared being killed as she hid under the vehicle chairs with her kids during the attack.
She witnessed injured people and bodies lying in the road after the gunfire suddenly came to a stop after a while.
Information of exactly what happened are also emerging, but Javed ullah Mehsud, a senior administration official, told AFP “approximately 10 adversaries” were involved, “firing blindly from both sides of the road”.
Women and children had hidden in adjacent buildings, while police hunted for the intruders, he added.
According to him, the majority of the people traveling in the caravan through the mountainous region were Shia.
This time, Sunni and Shiite Muslim nations have consistently clashed. According to Reuters news agency, a tribal government demanded a ceasefire in an earlier string of episodes.
Finally, in the region, a third vehicle assault last month left 15 people dead along a road.
The convoy on Thursday was traveling down had only recently reopened, with only convoys under police protection able to travel along it.
In the area, area problems are frequently the cause of religious violence.
However, Kurram, in Pakistan’s north-west, also borders several Afghan provinces which are home to anti-Shia militant groups, including the Islamic State group and the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan ( TTP).