OVER the past 60 years, temperatures in Asia and the Pacific have increased faster than the global average. The region is home to six of the 10 countries most affected by climate-related disasters, with rising temperatures disrupting food systems, damaging economies and destabilizing societies. My country, the Philippines, is a prime example.

The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events in the region underscore the urgent need to bolster our collective resilience. This fundamental task requires governments to allocate sufficient funding from their national budgets while mobilizing private-sector contributions and development financing.