Planetary Health Matters: We must move beyond silos for the planet's health

Flooding at PPR Desa Mutiara in Johor Baru after days of continuous rain earlier in 2025. In a region already bearing the brunt of climate impacts, Asean cannot afford not to make environmental concerns its primary consideration. — THOMAS YONG/The Star

AT the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur in May 2025, regional leaders adopted “Asean 2045: Our Shared Future” – a comprehensive vision for the region’s development over the next two decades. It is a carefully crafted document that reflects a welcome sense of ambition and confidence.

But even as it aspires to build a more “resilient, innovative, dynamic, and people-centred Asean”, it leaves important questions unanswered about the foundations upon which such aspirations rest.