In the wake of this flood crisis, Dunia traces the on-the-ground realities of collapsed trust, ecological violence, limits of adaptation, and social resilience facing Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka.
Severe flooding in Perlis has exposed cracks in Malaysia’s climate defenses despite major mitigation spending. With economic losses rising, displaced families surviving in makeshift shelters underscore the widening gap between policy and lived reality.
The deadly 2025 Sumatra floods, which killed 914 people, were not just due to heavy rain but driven by deforestation and palm oil expansion. Despite government denial, affected areas remain cut off with little access to aid.
Hat Yai’s flood became a man-made disaster as ignored drainage warnings, weak leadership, and false “safety” alerts deepened the damage and broke public trust. Slow relief and the PM’s late admission underscore the need for urgent reform of Thailand’s disaster governance.
At the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference, 1,500 reporters shared insights on climate, public health, and independent media. Dunia focused on environmental crime, carbon offsets, and cross-border collaboration shaping today’s investigative reporting.