This is the natural disaster to worry about

South American leaf blight

The natural disaster to worry about is the South American leaf blight (SALB). If it reaches Southeast Asia's rubber plantations, it could cause global societal meltdown.

• 🌿 SALB ruins rubber trees by infecting their leaves, causing them to fall off and the tree to die.
• 🌍 Southeast Asia produces over 90% of the world's rubber, making it highly vulnerable to SALB.
• 🚗 Modern life relies heavily on natural rubber for tires, medical supplies, and countless other products.
• 🧪 Synthetic rubber can't fully replace natural rubber, especially for demanding applications like airplane tires.
• 🌳 The current rubber supply is a monoculture, making it susceptible to widespread disease outbreaks.

A bar graph showing a steep decline in 'WORLD GDP' with a large piece of raw rubber in the foreground.