Floods forced hundreds of people to flee their homes in Indonesia. As of 1 February 2026, heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, inundating parts of North Jakarta and West Jakarta, Indonesia. In North Jakarta, a total of 350 people were displaced to two shelters, including 125 people or 50 families at Nurul Jannah Mosque and 225 people or 62 families at Robiatul Adawiyah Elementary School. Seven neighborhood units in Marunda Village and one neighborhood unit in Kapuk Muara were submerged. Meanwhile, in West Jakarta, two neighborhood units and Jalan Kamal Raya Road in Tegal Alur Village were also affected. The Angke Hulu flood monitoring post was at Alert Level 3. Local authorities were deployed to monitor and manage the situation.

Source: Tempo. (2026, Feb 1).  Floods Displace 350 People in North Jakarta.

Multiple earthquakes jolted Sultan Kudarat, the Philippines. As of 3 February 2026, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that a series of earthquakes continued to occur offshore of Sultan Kudarat in the Philippines, with magnitudes ranging from 1.3 to 5.9. A total of 3,319 tremors were recorded between 19 January and 3 February 2026. Of these, 1,010 were plotted by at least three seismic monitoring stations and 114 were felt by residents. The number of tremors per day declined. However, the possibility of strong earthquakes remained. The strongest earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.9, was recorded on 28 January 2026.

Source: Manila Bulletin. (2026, Feb 3). Sultan Kudarat earthquake swarm shows fewer tremors but high-magnitude quakes still possible -Phivolcs.

Severe snowfall claimed numerous lives in Japan. As of 3 February 2026, heavy snow killed at least 30 people and injured another 321 along the Sea of Japan coast over the past two weeks, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Niigata Prefecture recorded the highest death toll at 12, followed by Akita Prefecture with six deaths and Aomori Prefecture with four. As winter pressure patterns brought freezing air over the Tohoku region, areas along the Sea of Japan coast continued to experience heavy snowfall. Temperatures were forecast to drop further from 6 February 2026 onward with the possibility of another strong snowstorm, particularly in the northern parts of the country. Residents were urged to remain alert to weather updates.

Source: The Japan Times. (2026, Feb 3). Heavy snowfall along Sea of Japan coast claims at least 30 lives.

Overnight snowfall settled over parts of South Korea. Heavy overnight snowfall covered many areas of South Korea on 2 February 2026, disrupting the morning commute in Seoul. The city issued a mobile alert warning of slippery roads and advising commuters to use public transportation. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, some parts of the wider capital area were expected to see light snow of less than 0.1 centimetres on the morning, while other areas were forecast to receive more snowfall. Temperatures were expected to range from minus 1 to plus 6 degrees Celsius.

Source: Korea Times. (2026, Feb 2).  Korea blanketed by overnight snow.

The Philippines expands the PHP20/kg rice program nationwide.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippine government’s PHP20-per-kilogram rice program under the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” initiative has now reached 2.6 million beneficiaries across 508 sites nationwide. The program is active in all 82 provinces and will run until June 30, 2028. The DA is currently working closely with the National Food Authorities (NFA), the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), and local governments to strengthen food security. In Pampanga alone, about 350,000 residents are eligible, supported by 8,300 tonnes of rice stocks stored in the NFA warehouses.

Source: Philippine News Agency. (2026, February 3). BBM Na serves 2.6-M Filipinos, now in 508 sites nationwide.

Thailand moves to boost rice exports to Hong Kong.

Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade led a delegation of government officials, the Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM) executives, and Thai rice exporters to Hong Kong on 18 – 20 January 2026 to strengthen trade relations and promote Thai rice, especially jasmine rice, during the Chinese New Year period. Hong Kong officials confirmed Thai rice has been the market leader for over 30 years, supported by strong relationships between importers and Thai exporters. Discussions covered cooperation on trade amid global volatility, emergency rice stockpiles, electronic certificates of origin, and possible future trade agreements. Moreover, Thailand currently exports about 160,000 – 170,000 tonnes of rice annually to Hong Kong, which imports around 280,000–310,000 tonnes per year, giving Thailand over 50 percent market share in Hongkong rice market. During the visit, strong demand for Thai rice was reaffirmed, and officials expressed confidence that Thailand will continue to hold its leading position in the Hong Kong market over the long term.

Source: Thairath. (2026, January 29). Rice exports beat 2025 goal on strong year-end demand.

Japan’s farm export hit a new record of 1.7 trillion JPY.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Japan’s export of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and foods reached a record of 1.7 trillion JPY (about 10.9 billion USD) in 2025, marking the 13th consecutive annual increase, driven largely by the growing global popularity of Japanese cuisine. However, the record missed the government’s 2 trillion JPY target for 2025 (12.8 billion USD), highlighting the need to expand overseas markets further as Japan aims for 5 trillion JPY (32 billion USD) in exports by 2030. Japan’s rice exports increased 3.2 percent to 46,573 tonnes, while exports of packaged precooked rice surged 21.8 percent to 2,950 tonnes, driven by rising demand at Japanese restaurant chains abroad.

*1 USD = 157.3 JPY

Source: Japan Wire by KYODO NEWS. (2026, February 3). Japan's annual farm exports rise to new record 1.7 trillion yen.