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The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XII, 2020

because it has positive economic results, but there are occasional frictions,
such as the Rohingya tragedy, and some of the Chinese streams into Mainland
Southeast Asia. As the overall volume of migration increases, so will the incidence

of friction. Some regional mechanism is needed to manage these. Current Europe
should be a lesson.

The understanding of ENSO (El Nino/La Nina) has improved in recent
years, but there seems to be nothing like a model that can predict its variations
and effects. There seems to be nothing in Asia comparable to the research in
progress on the changing currents in the Atlantic. The monsoon systems too
are still largely mysterious. Regional collaboration is needed for research on
climate and weather in Asia. This collaboration should be region-wide, including
Japan, China and India, to benefit from their scientific communities. And the
results should be fed into better forecasting systems.

Southeast Asia is one of the richest areas in the world in terms of its
natural endowment. In the past, the region’s people have been very sensitive to
this natural richness, as is evident in many aspects of its arts, culture, and everyday
technologies. The development model of the last century has forgotten and
forsaken this sensitivity in favor of maximum exploitation. In the future that
now rapidly approaches, there will be moments, decision points, where past ways
have to be abandoned, or drastically modified, and new paths blazed. Maybe
the region will be able to revive this sensitivity to find creative ways to live
in better harmony with the natural world.

References

ADB Asian Development Bank

ONEP Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning,
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

TARC Thailand’s Assessment Report on Climate Change
UN-IPCC United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

ADB. 2009a. The Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia: A Regional
Review. Manila: ADB.

ADB. 2009b. Understanding and Responding to Climate Change in Developing Asia.
Manila: ADB.

152 Climate Change and Inequality in Southeast Asia:
Review, Prospects, Priorities

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