Given their outsized economic role, strengthening the resilience of coastal communities is not just a regional or national priority but a global imperative.
The upcoming climate summit needs to address how storms are becoming more impactful closer to the coast. Preparing for such events is more cost-effective than dealing with the aftermath of inadequate preparation.
China has countered the Philippines' claims of ecological damage in Scarborough Shoal with its own environmental reports to hinder Manila’s legal efforts. However, this brings Beijing’s motives into question.