Resilience has become a familiar term in recent years, especially after COVID-19, supply chain disruptions, rising geopolitical tensions and rapid technological change. But today, resilience is no longer just about recovery. It is about how countries and regions adapt and rethink how they operate in a more uncertain and fragmented world. For ASEAN, this challenge is particularly complex. Resilience looks different across emerging technologies, global value chains and health and other non-traditional security issues. And policy choices in one area can create vulnerabilities in another. In this episode's of Policy Unpacked, join our expert panel, LKYSPP's Dr. Denis Hew and Dr Miguel Gomez, Senior Research Fellows at the Centre on Asia and Globalisation, SMU's Associate Professor Chang Pao Li and RSIS' Professor Mely Anthony, as they explore what resilience really means for ASEAN and what it will take for the region to remain competitive, resilient and secure.

Southeast Asia is navigating a far more contested and uncertain strategic environment. Military tensions, major power rivalry and territorial disputes are growing, while transboundary challenges from economic shocks to cyber risks, are testing the region's resilience. For ASEAN, this raises a critical question: How can the region remain stable, resilient and relevant as global power structures shift? Tune in to this episode of Policy Unpacked with LKYSPP's Prof Selina Ho, Prof Khong Yuen Foong as well as, NUS' Law School's Prof Tan Hsien-Li, as they examine how changing global dynamics are reshaping the Asian regional order and what this means for ASEAN's role going forward.

The recent announcement that Singapore will build its sixth desalination plant is another reminder of how seriously the country treats water security. It is also a timely moment to confront a harder truth that often sits just beneath such announcements: the more resilient our water system becomes, the more it will cost to operate and sustain.

Competition for power and influence in Southeast Asia is nothing new, writes Joseph Liow, the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Non-Resident International Fellow. Unity between Southeast Asian states is key to maintaining the region’s independence.