Climate change is exacerbating environmental hazards globally, including the risks of asbestos exposure. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and the interplay between aging and deteriorating infrastructure, often contaminated with asbestos, is endangering public health. The Asia-Pacific region is particularly vulnerable due to the high frequency and intensity of extreme weather events and the prevalence of asbestos in the built environment. Three of the world’s top five asbestos-using countries are in the Asia-Pacific.
Increased risk of exposure
Climate change is now regarded as one of the key dangers relating to the risk of exposure to asbestos fibres in Australia. One of the impacts of a changing climate is that asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) degrade more quickly, and coupled with more frequent and intense hazards, means asbestos fibres are being released into the environment.
In disaster events (e.g., fire, flood, disease), the focus for public safety is often on responding to and recovering from the hazard itself rather than managing exposure hazards arising from damage to the built environment. Emergency response and recovery resources may be overstretched post-disaster, while home and business owners may be hasty in clean-up operations. Awareness of asbestos dangers and the ability to identify ACMs are low in most countries in the Asia Pacific. Workers (including volunteers) conducting building maintenance or post-disaster clean-up and recovery risk exposure to damaged and friable ACMs. The scale of natural disasters and damage can make it challenging to identify and safely dispose of asbestos. There is often also a high risk of soil and water contamination.
As climate patterns continue to shift, it is imperative to recognise and address the intersection of environmental change and public health hazards. Enhanced regulations on asbestos and an urgent transition to safer alternatives are important parts of this.
Practical cooperation to reduce risk and help transition to safer materials
Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA is working with local partners in the region, including governments, NGOs and trade unions, to advocate for improved standards and regulations to ensure new buildings are asbestos-free; to train emergency response teams to handle asbestos safely during and after natural disasters, including proper handling, disposal and clean-up; and working with communities to improve public awareness of the risks of asbestos exposure and safety measures that can help minimise health hazards.
An example of the campaign’s work to minimise asbestos-related risks in the face of climate change is the development of Indonesia’s first training modules on asbestos prevention and safety for humanitarian workers responding in disaster zones. This work was led by Binawan University and LION Indonesia, a partner organisation of Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA. Since 2024, they have trained hundreds of disaster volunteers and officials, including those from the Jakarta City Regional Disaster Management Agency.
“Asbestos is shattered in earthquakes. It is a real danger. Earthquakes magnify the risk it poses,” said Surya Ferdian, director of LION Indonesia.
Research on the awareness of asbestos dangers by disaster volunteers in Indonesia, conducted by Binawan University, shows just how urgent this kind of training is:
- While more than 90% of disaster volunteers know that asbestos is widely used in buildings, only 60% are aware that it is hazardous to health.
- Just one-third have received information on asbestos risks in disaster response.
- Fewer than half (43%) consistently use protective equipment when working around asbestos.
Across our region, asbestos exposure from climate change events is an invisible killer. Helping manage these climate challenges means preparing our built environment for the change, including being aware of asbestos hazards, and building asbestos-free into the future.