Kuala Lampur, Aug. 29 -- The unrelenting march of climate change is nowhere more palpable than in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Both regions, geographically exposed and institutionally underprepared, face the brunt of intensifying natural disasters. Typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and rising sea levels increasingly test the limits of regional resilience. Yet, the institutional responses remain weak, episodic, and grossly underfunded.

The Asia Zero Emissions Community (AZEC), an initiative spearheaded by Japan with Asean and Australia, offers an embryonic platform to coordinate decarbonization strategies. But decarbonization is not enough. Climate security must be woven into the very matrix of regional governance, linking emissions...