Climate Disinformation in Asia: Trends and Challenges

In Asia, climate disinformation is a tactic that deliberately reinforces existing power imbalances between dominant actors and Indigenous Peoples (IPs). Drawing from country studies on Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines and Thailand, this regional brief outlines how these disparities reinforce extractive development policies that consolidate state control over land and resources. This effectively sidelines IPs’ participation in climate governance, despite being forest-dwelling minority groups most vulnerable to climate change and deforestation. Within the recent context of media digitalisation, IPs are disproportionately impacted by the dissemination of climate disinformation narratives, including one-sided reporting, greenwashing, false climate solutions and  the denial or deflection of climate accountability. These narratives contribute to their exclusion from climate discourse, forced displacement, the impairment of traditional ways of living, criminalisation, and physical violence, alongside constraints on IPs’ capacity in climate adaptation. Collectively, the country-level studies advance targeted recommendations for government institutions, international bodies, civil society, the media and technology companies. Ultimately, addressing climate disinformation is essential for strengthening climate information integrity, centring Indigenous voices and promoting inclusive, rights-based climate and environmental action across the region.