“Dalifornication” is the kind of phrase that sticks because it captures a cultural mood as much as a place. The Economist’s recent description of young Chinese “Dalifornia dreamin’” has turned the ancient city of Dali in Yunnan into shorthand for a broader economic and social shift. Once a quiet refuge for backpackers, Dali now swells […]

Protecting ecosystems like mangroves, wetlands, and coral reefs could unlock major economic gains for the Philippines and the wider Asia-Pacific region, according to a recent report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Asia-Pacific Climate Report 2025: Unlocking Nature for Development warns that extreme weather events—cyclones, floods, droughts, and heatwaves—are becoming more frequent and severe, […]