Climate Change, the Main Challenge for Southeast Asian Citizens in Early 2026

The majority of Southeast Asians consider climate change and increasing extreme weather events as the most pressing challenges in the region at the beginning of 2026.

This is based on findings in the The State of Southeast Asia 2026 Survey Report released by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

According to the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, these concerns signal an increasing public awareness of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of droughts, floods, typhoons, and rising sea levels.

"At the national level, climate change is the main challenge for citizens of the Philippines (71.1% of respondents), Indonesia (67.4%), Laos (65.2%), Brunei (63.9%), Timor-Leste (62.7%), and Vietnam (62.5%)," said the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in its report.

In addition to climate change, many Southeast Asians are concerned about increasing economic tensions between major powers.

"The fear of a recession is still greater than the concern about economic tensions in some member countries, especially Indonesia (55.5%) and Brunei (52.3%)," said the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Here are the details of the public's perception of the main challenges facing Southeast Asia in early 2026, according to a survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute:

• Climate change and more extreme weather events (e.g., droughts, floods, typhoons, rising sea levels): 60%
• Increasing economic tensions among major powers: 51.7%
• Domestic political instability (e.g., ethnic and religious tensions, corruption): 46.1%
• Unemployment and economic recession: 45.9%
• Increasing military tensions arising from potential flashpoints (e.g., South China Sea, Taiwan Strait, Korean Peninsula): 42.3%
• Widening socio-economic gaps and increasing income inequality: 32.6%
• Terrorism and extremism: 13.9%
• Deteriorating human rights conditions: 7.4%

The ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute conducted this survey online from January 5 to February 20, 2026, using a mixed purposive sampling method.

The respondents totaled 2,008 people from 11 Southeast Asian countries, with a minimum age criterion of 18 years.

The respondents came from five affiliation categories: (a) academics, members of think tanks, or researchers; (b) representatives of the private sector; (c) representatives of civil society, NGOs, or the media; (d) government officials; and (e) staff of regional or international organizations.