Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 170 i ASIAN Geographic

Q&A WITH DESMOND MAH

“Cry Now” directs the audience’s attention towards the current emotions and actions related to ecological protection. How do you understand the exhibition? I understand “Cry Now” as an invitation to confront the contradictions in our relationship with the natural world. It is a reminder that ecological crises are already unfolding. The exhibition foregrounds emotional urgency by placing the viewer in a position where they must reconsider their own distance, complicity, and desire for comfort. For me, this emotional terrain is important, because ecological protection often becomes a performance rather than a lived commitment. “Cry Now” asks us to sit with discomfort rather than resolve it too quickly. In your daily life, are there any specific ecological issues or social phenomena that spark your creative inspiration? Yes. I am drawn to…

Q&A WITH RICK SHI

“Cry Now” focuses on the immediate emotions and actions triggered by ecological issues. How do you interpret this exhibition? To me, “Cry Now” is not only an outlet for emotion but also a call to immediate action. I hope viewers can truly recognise the urgency of the ecological crisis and reflect on how they can participate in protecting the Earth. When we reduce indiscriminate hunting and consumption of animals, we are actually giving the world’s ecosystems more space to recover. I hope this exhibition encourages people to express their own views, find a connection to ecological issues, and become part of the change. In your daily life, which ecological or social issues inspire your creative work? In daily life, phenomena like “feast culture” and overconsumption often touch me. Once, after…

CHIMP CHANGE: How Sierra Leone’s National Animal Is Reshaping Conservation

Inland from Sierra Leone’s capital city, Freetown, the Western Area Peninsula National Park, is a narrow chain of hills that occupies the heart of the Freetown peninsula. The area has pristine rainforest, mountainous terrain, idyllic waterfalls, a biodiversity hotspot, and the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary. But the park is under threat. This once almost 18,000-hectare National Park is a fast-shrinking wedge of forest, hemmed in by the country’s capital. Once gone, it will be impossible to get back. Satellite imagery shows that the national park has lost a quarter of its forest cover since 2016. As the forest disappears, the number of orphaned chimps at Tacugama grows. It all started in 1988, with Bala and Sharmila Amarasekaran driving through the Sierra Leonean countryside. About 250 kilometres from Freetown, they passed through…

Botswana’s Secret Zebra Migration

Researchers placed GPS collars on eight adult zebras in 2012, tracking their journey over two years, ultimately confirming that the zebras completed a round-trip journey of about 500 kilometres each year, making it the longest mammal migration in Africa. Dr Robin Naidoo, senior conservation scientist at the World Wildlife Fund and lead author of the study, said the distance covered shocked everyone. “Nobody knew that something of this scale, with this much ground covered, was occurring," he said. Botswana’s Greater Makgadikgadi includes two National Parks – the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and the smaller, adjacent Nxai Pan National Park. These are the world’s largest saltpans. Nxai Pan National Park covers an area of about 2,578 square kilometres and comprises large pans once part of a super lake that, around 20,000–30,000…

Bridging Cultures to Secure a Future for Owls

I found my path to conservation by daring to explore my environment while growing up, often wandering in the bush with my brother and more alone as I grew older. How people coexist with wildlife and the varying levels of love-hate relationships as man continues to interact with nature creatively has always fascinated me. My first shot at making an impact was by researching how livestock farming communities surrounding the Matopos National Park in Zimbabwe could coexist with the wildlife in the park. This was from 2018 to 2019. The idea was to recommend sites that could manage varying levels of regulated livestock grazing so that the communities’ livestock have access to foraging areas and the wildlife in the park continued to flourish. In addition, I advocate for human and…

3 min

The Complete and Utter Failure of COP30

We need solutions that recognise the rights of all living beings – from microbes to great whales.– Captain Paul Watson For 30 years, the charade has played out – beginning with COP1 in 1995. In March 1995, 869 delegates from 160 nations and the European Union met in Berlin to acknowledge the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. The conference produced no binding measures, but it did recognise the gravity of the problem and the necessity of cutting emissions. The alarm had been ringing long before. In 1968, the Stanford Research Institute warned the American Petroleum Institute that carbon dioxide from fossil fuels would drive dangerous atmospheric increases with planetary consequences: significant temperature rises by 2000, melting of Antarctic ice, sea-level rise, ocean warming, and shifts in…

7 min

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1 min

Cry Now

In the noise of constant information and overstimulated senses, many subtle emotions sink beneath the surface. In the hurried rhythm of city life, fragile ecosystems and living beings are quietly pushed to the margins. “Cry Now” began with a conversation with artist Pearl C. Hsiung. During that exchange, we became aware of a subtle reality: While contemporary society works hard to conceal individual vulnerability, it has also grown increasingly desensitised to the fragility of the environment. There appears to be a connection between the two: Our neglect of our own emotions often mirrors a growing indifference toward the world. The exhibition takes “crying”, a seemingly private emotion and physical response, as its point of departure and invites viewers to reconnect with the deeper currents of feeling, to sense and confront…

14 min

Q&A WITH KANOKO TAKAYA

“Cry Now” directs the audience’s attention towards the current emotions and actions related to ecological protection. How do you understand the exhibition? For me, “Cry Now” is an exhibition that invites us to face ecological issues as realities already unfolding within our bodies and emotions, rather than as abstract concepts. I see the human body and emotions not as something separate from nature, but as part of an ecosystem that is constantly responding to its environment. Through forms that suggest bodily surfaces and inner layers, I try to visualise how external changes affect our inner states, and how the boundary between them becomes unstable. In this sense, “Cry Now” encourages us to reconsider coexistence and our relationship with the environment. In your daily life, are there any specific ecological issues…

Q&A WITH TAN SOCK FONG

In your daily life, are there any specific ecological issues or social phenomena that spark your creative inspiration? Most of my artworks are reactions to my observations of my daily environment, which I see from a unique perspective. I’m particularly drawn to issues like climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, and I strive to present a message of hope and resilience in the face of these challenges. I believe that art can inspire positive change, and I aim to highlight the beauty and strength of nature, even in the midst of adversity. Why do you prefer glass as a medium for your creations? I prefer glass as a medium for its tranquillity and transparency, allowing us to peer into its depth, much like exploring the ocean’s abyss, where light filters…

3 min

The Elephant in the Room

As debates continue over how to manage Africa’s expanding elephant populations, one thing is clear: human choices and inaction are at the core of the crisis. Delayed decisions today may demand drastic interventions tomorrow. After speaking with conservation experts like Dr Ian Whyte, Dr Sam Ferreira, Dr Corli Wigley-Coetsee, Dr Brian Child, Dr Salomon Joubert and others, one thing becomes undeniable: managing elephant numbers is among the most complex conservation dilemmas Africa faces. Here is how we got here and where we go next. A BRIEF HISTORY OF ELEPHANTS IN KRUGER NATIONAL PARK When Kruger National Park (KNP) was proclaimed in 1889, there were no elephants. They recolonised the area from Mozambique, with the first sightings recorded in the Letaba-Olifants region in 1905. Systematic population monitoring began in 1958. By…

Thailand’s Second Roar

The forests of Eastern Thailand’s Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai (DPKY) complex stretch across rolling mountains and valleys, their canopy dappled with sunlight. Once scarred by conflict and the belief that tigers no longer roamed here, this landscape now tells a different story: pawprints pressed into soft earth, camera-trap flashes of striped coats, and GPS collars transmitting signals from a species once thought lost. The contradiction is stark. How could a former conflict zone become one of the last remaining strongholds in mainland Southeast Asia where Indochinese tigers persist? Two decades ago, scientists and rangers made a discovery few dared imagine: Indochinese tigers were still here. That moment transformed the complex from an overlooked expanse of forest into a critical frontier for tiger conservation. The sense of revelation was palpable, not unlike…

SCALES OF INJUSTICE: The Tragic Tale of the Pangolin

Pangolins are quiet, nocturnal wanderers. They don’t roar like lions or trumpet like elephants. They go about their business, snuffling through soil for ants and termites. For many nature lovers, a wild pangolin sighting would be the ultimate bucket-list tick, but encounters are rare. Yet, this shy creature is now the most trafficked mammal in the world, simply because poachers have time on their hands. But these elusive foragers are more than just rare sightings. They are crucial ecosystem engineers. By consuming thousands of ants and termites daily, pangolins help control ant populations, protect vegetation, and aerate the soil as they dig. Their quiet work beneath the surface keeps natural systems in balance. Pangolins have long held symbolic and spiritual significance, said to bring rain and protect those who cross…

Voices of Change

The youth climate activist movement in Asia has emerged as a powerful force in the region, fuelled by a growing recognition of the urgent need for climate action. Young people, especially those from countries highly vulnerable to global warming and its impacts, have been at the forefront of demanding stronger policies, climate justice, and sustainable futures. From India to Indonesia, Bangladesh to the Philippines, youth-led groups have united to raise awareness, organise protests, and hold governments accountable for their inaction on climate change. The movement is driven by a diverse range of young activists, many of whom have faced firsthand impacts of climate change – including extreme weather, floods, and rising sea levels. They are not only demanding environmental protection but also social justice, advocating for the inclusion of marginalised…

8 min

For a Coming Extinction

Grey whaleNow that we are sending you to The EndThat great godTell himThat we who follow you invented forgivenessAnd forgive nothing I write as though you could understandAnd I could say itOne must always pretend somethingAmong the dyingWhen you have left the seas nodding on their stalksEmpty of youTell him that we were madeOn another day The bewilderment will diminish like an echoWinding along your inner mountainsUnheard by usAnd find its way outLeaving behind it the futureDeadAnd ours When you will not see againThe whale calves trying the lightConsider what you will find in the black gardenAnd its courtThe sea cows the Great Auks the gorillasThe irreplaceable hosts ranged countlessAnd fore-ordaining as starsOur sacrifices Join your word to theirsTell himThat it is we who are important William Stanley Merwin (1927–2019)…

1 min

Q&A WITH CHEN CHUNMU

“Cry Now” focuses on the immediate emotions and actions triggered by ecological issues. How do you interpret this exhibition? Many viewers label my work with terms like “mutated”, “dislocated”, or “androgynous and uncanny” – all kinds of descriptors for the environments I depict. That’s fine; at least it evokes some emotion. I have always been concerned with environmental issues, especially destructive exploitation. Ultimately, it comes down to human greed – it’s hard to avoid. Overanalysing the works can restrict thinking. It’s better to focus on one’s own experience and perception. As an artist who has long depicted natural landscapes, what resonances do you see between your work and the theme of “Cry Now”? In your daily life, which ecological or social issues inspire your creative work? I don’t really see…

2 min

Q&A WITH PEARL C. HSIUNG

Your works often engage with natural landscapes and the boundaries between the synthetic and the organic. What resonance exists between the idea of “Cry Now” and the theme you have long pursued? Personally, artistically, and philosophically, I have long been interested in geological phenomena that embody and/or express material transformation and simultaneity. Whether spending time within and observing sites in-person or researching places and events indirectly and from a distance, I’m engrossed in both the forms that these occurrences take – the temporary manifestation of elemental matter and forces in motion and between states – and how this speaks to me in visceral, energetic, and speculative ways. In shorthand, this can be thought of as meditation on human/nature interconnectivity, but I found that binary too generalised and vague to think…

2 min

Q&A WITH TEO HUEY LING

“Cry Now” directs the audience’s attention towards the current emotions and actions related to ecological protection. How do you understand the exhibition? To me, “Cry Now” reflects a collective reaction to our present environmental condition. To “cry now” is to feel the inevitable burdens that modern civilisation has dealt to Mother Earth. My artistic response to this is through a quiet conversation with my materials. I don’t create work about nature in a literal sense. My relationship with it is somewhat alienated; I live in a city of flats and manicured parks. But in my studio, I work with clay dug from the ground and wood that has fallen from the land. I think clay has remained a popular medium because of its tangible link to the Earth, just as…

Hanging by a Thread: Can Madagascar’s Lemurs Be Saved?

Hidden on an island off southeastern Africa, Madagascar harbours a spectacular array of biodiversity found nowhere else on Earth. However, its diversity is dwindling at an alarming rate, with grim implications for the lemur populations. Madagascar is home to 112 unique lemur species. These primates developed in isolation for over 60 million years, resulting in species ranging from the mouse lemur – the size of a hand – to the towering ring-tailed lemur. Sadly, these charismatic critters are vanishing, taking with them their unique ecosystem services as pollinators and seed dispersers. According to World Bank statistics, over 30 million Malagasy people survive in poverty with over 80 percent living on merely $2.15 per day. Widespread poverty and lack of economic opportunity exacerbate challenges for lemurs as human and natural needs…

50 YEARS LATER: The Vietnam War’s Enduring Effect on the Tiger Trade

What many assume is a free-standing wildlife trafficking problem is deeply woven into the social, economic, and cultural histories of Vietnam and Malaysia. Fifty years after the Vietnam War ended, its aftershocks still play out in unexpected ways. In Southeast Asia, the war influenced the illegal tiger trade spanning Vietnam, Malaysia, and beyond. What began as wartime survival and cultural resilience has, over time, fed a cross-border black market in tiger parts, one that these countries are now working to dismantle. Against the backdrop of lost lives, shattered communities, and devastated landscapes, focusing on something like the illegal tiger trade might seem narrow. But what many assume is a free-standing wildlife trafficking problem is deeply woven into the social, economic, and cultural histories of Vietnam and Malaysia. A WAR THAT…

Zero Waste Village, Haad Yao Village, Koh Phangan

An egret picks her way delicately among the boulders that stand sentinel over the turquoise waters of the bay. Under the mirror-like surface, aquatic life is bristling with fervour. A hopeful octopus tentacle curls out towards a tiny fish that darts off, leaving the tentacle to merely startle a pufferfish that is wallowing in the reef shallows. The puffer’s tiny, panicked fins propel its disproportionately large body a little too close to a giant clam with psychedelic green and turquoise lips. Those algae-laden lips close in alarm, before gently widening again. This comedy of errors plays out every morning. And even the most cynical of hedonists cannot help but be moved by its innocence. As a guest plucks the snorkelling mask off their face, and stepping out of the sea,…

9 min

INFOGRAPHICS Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015 to be achieved by 2030. They aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure peace and prosperity for all, covering areas such as health, education, gender equality, clean energy, climate action, and sustainable cities. The Status of SDG Progress Globally Based on the rate of progress since they were adopted by the international community in 2015, none of the 17 SDGs will be achieved by 2030. At the global level, SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions), are particularly off track, facing…