When members of the Freshwater Fisheries Society (Peniat) in Tanjung Tualang, Perak, found that their fishing areas were invaded by water hyacinth, which caused a drop in the number of catches two years ago, they knew they needed help to curb the deteriorating quality of the lake ecosystem.

Read more: Keeping freshwater fisheries area healthy

LONDON: People around the world beset by drought, heatwaves, rising seas, and storm surges made worse by global warming are calling for “climate justice,” and many are pleading their case in court.

Read more: Climate victims seek justice in the courtroom and on the street

The making of a truly green city begins with calculating its carbon emissions, and then introducing policies that will spur the transition to renewable energy, say officials from San Carlos City in the Philippines.

San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, the Philippines, was once home to one of the country’s biggest sugar mills. But as the growth of the sugar industry has slowed since the 1980s, the city has sought alternative means of generating revenue. It has harnessed one of its most abundant natural resources: sunshine.

Read more: This small city in the Philippines is taking big steps to curb emissions

The climate change resilient pilot house (CCRPH) of the Bicol State College for Applied Sciences and Technology (BISCAST) in Naga City, Philippines is ready for scaling up as it secures approval from the Accreditation of Innovative Technologies for Housing (AITECH) of the Philippine National Housing Authority (NHA) last December 2017.

Read more: Climate-resilient housing technology in Naga state college, ready for scaling up

The City of Bogor enjoys more frequent rain showers than any part of Indonesia. Dubbed as the Rain City, locals often tell visitors that it almost always rains in their area even during the dry months. Cradled by three mountains, Mount Salak, Mount Gede, and Mount Pangrango, residents of the municipality are blessed with a cool climate, which also made Bogor a popular retreat destination especially for the wealthy.

Read more: Addressing climate risks through community-driven interventions: The Story of Sindang Rasa in...

Water is essential for life. Not only does it connect every aspect of life, it’s a fundamental human need.

Every person requires at least 20-50 liters of clean, safe water daily for drinking, cleaning, cooking and more. And despite scientific advancements, about 780 million people do not have access to an improved water source, with an estimated 2.5 billion people lacking access to improved sanitation.

That’s more than 35 percent of the earth’s population.

Read more: The Critical Facts You Need To Know About The Clean Water Crisis

JAKARTA — A highly contentious set of revisions to Indonesia’s Criminal Code threatens to undermine the fight against environmental offenders and polluters, activists warn.

Deliberations on the new draft are in the final stage in parliament, in what proponents are calling a much-needed overhaul and reform of a penal code inherited from Dutch colonial rule more than 70 years ago.

Already the bill has drawn intense criticism for new provisions that, if passed as expected in April, would criminalize consensual non-marital sex, outlaw the promotion of contraceptives, and make it illegal to insult the president or religious leaders, among other points.

But overshadowed by the furor over the looming rollback of personal freedoms and human rights are provisions that appear to weaken existing enforcement articles under the 2009 Environmental Protection Law.

“When we studied the draft, we found out that it’ll heavily affect existing environmental law enforcement and there are going to be many things that can’t be enforced,” said Reynaldo Sembiring, a researcher with the Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL).

“While the current law still has some weaknesses, those weaknesses will be amplified further in the new Criminal Code.”

These include making it more difficult to prove an environmental crime has taken place, watering down sentences for environmental violations, and a persistent failure to apportion accountability for these crimes.

Read more: Activists fear for environmental protection under Indonesia’s revised Criminal Code

Recycling plastic — bottles, in particular — will never be enough to solve the country’s garbage and pollution problem.

Read more: ‘Upcycling’ could be the best way to beat the plastic menace

• Climate change could cost South Asia 50% of its GDP by 2050.  In order to drive action at scale climate adaptation needs to be mainstreamed into all areas of decision making.
• The Action on Climate Today (ACT) programme has developed a new ‘governance framework’ for integrating climate adaptation into government systems, policies and plan has been successfully tested in South Asia.
• Most traditional approaches to mainstreaming climate change emphasize technical issues and often overlook the politics. This framework puts institutions and politics it at the center.

Read more: New framework has successes integrating climate change into governance systems in South Asia

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) aims to plant bamboo on more than 15,000 hectares of land this year under the National Greening Program.

Read more: DENR: 15,000 hectares to be planted with bamboo