ABSTRACT
Due to the rapid climate change in recent years, global communities have seen an increased frequency of large-scale natural and man-made disasters. These disasters have caused extensive damage, destroying thousands of homes, scattering families, and leading to the loss of many human lives. These disasters have been especially severe in the Asia-Pacific region. In response to this great challenge, environmental protection alliances formed by nonprofit organizations, governmental institutions, emergency response systems, and social service agencies across nations have sought to provide collective interventions and resources to address the immediate needs of disaster survivors and assist them during the recovery process. Featuring more than 10 million members in more than 50 countries, the Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation (Tzu Chi) is a faith-based nonprofit organization formed in 1966 (InterAction, 2016; Tzu Chi USA, 2016). In recent years, Tzu Chi has adopted preventive environmental protection approaches to reduce the likelihood of future natural disasters by promoting environmental sustainability and has been recognized for its sustainability stewardship in international disaster relief service. Tzu Chi has held a special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council since 2010 and was selected as member of the year at the 21st National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster Conference in 2013 (Tzu Chi Foundation, 2013b).
