Jakarta – Scientists say that the series of extreme storms that have hit Southeast Asia in recent weeks is not merely the result of tropical weather dynamics but part of a pattern of damage exacerbated by the climate crisis and the region’s long-standing dependence on fossil fuels. They warn that storms such as Senyar, Koto and Ditwah are clear evidence of how carbon emissions have intensified extreme weather in this region, which is highly sensitive to global warming.
On Tuesday, 2 December, the Director of Research at France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Davide Faranda, described the extreme storm phenomenon occurring in Southeast Asia as the culmination of a long-standing crisis. He emphasised that climate change, which is warming the atmosphere and oceans, has provided additional “fuel” for tropical storms.
He said Southeast Asia’s seemingly never-ending cycle of storms shows a pattern, an accumulation of catastrophic events. Faranda said the series of storms is not a normal seasonal occurrence. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water vapour, resulting in heavier rainfall, while warmer oceans provide additional energy for tropical storms. This results to stronger and more destructive cyclones and storms.
In addition to intensifying storms, fossil fuel emissions are also directly linked to increased global economic losses. Faranda cited that one tonne of CO₂ produced by fossil fuel companies contributed to an increase in economic losses of up to USD 28 trillion due to extreme weather in the period 1991–2020.
Iqbal Damanik, Climate and Energy Campaign Manager at Greenpeace Indonesia, believes that the disasters that have struck Sumatra and other regions in Southeast Asia are not only the physical impacts of tropical storms but also a reflection of misguided natural resource and energy management.
“This disaster is the result of poor land and energy management, as well as policies that only benefit a small group of people. It is time to apply the polluter pays principle because the disaster was not caused solely by natural factors, but also by the excessive exploitation of nature by companies and the state in the name of development,” he explained.
Iqbal emphasised that increasingly severe storms should be seen as part of the global climate crisis. In various Southeast Asian countries, scientific studies show that storms and typhoons are becoming more destructive due to global warming. Many new studies link the strength of these storms to rising sea surface temperatures and changes in wind patterns.
Numerous scientific findings show how the climate crisis is affecting storm cycles. In the Philippines, for example, scientists have found that the 2024 typhoon season has been intensified by global warming. Another study shows that Super Typhoon Ragasa became wetter and windier due to climate change. Similar research also found that Typhoon Gaemi experienced increased rainfall and wind speeds, causing severe damage in the western Pacific region.
The combination of additional heat sources in the atmosphere, warming oceans, and weak ecosystem protection causes these storms to develop more quickly and strike with greater force. Scientists agree that as long as our dependence on fossil fuels continues, more intense storms such as Senyar, Koto, and Ditwah will become an annual threat—and may even become more deadly.
Thus, experts believe that the increasingly frequent extreme storms are not merely a warning, but an urgent call for governments in Southeast Asia to abandon fossil fuels, strengthen adaptation policies, and ensure that protecting vulnerable communities is a priority in this era of climate crisis. (Hartatik)
Banner photo: Drew McArthur/shutterstock.com
