Publication

South-East Asia will be strongly affected by impacts of climate change according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This is due to the fact that one of the most pressing environmental problems in the region is the expansion of area under increasing water stress associated with increasing intensity of precipitation, consequent floods, longer warmer periods and resulting low water quantity and quality. These phenomena will provoke land erosion and decreasing productivity, which will impact negatively on agriculture in general, and livestock production and the aquaculture industry, in particular. Considering the current climatic conditions and projected climate scenarios, key ASEAN member countries have identified the need to review and analyze existing studies on national and regional vulnerabilities as one of the first priority for providing the countries with information for informed decision making. To meet the need, the Southeast Asia Network of Climate Change Focal Points (SEA-CC Net) and the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (Adaptation Knowledge Platform) jointly conducted a desktop study on “Assessment of Capacity Gaps and Needs of South East Asia Countries in Addressing Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Climate Change”, focusing on eight selected countries, namely, Lao PDR, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia. The research study and synthesis presents the findings on gaps in approaches, methods, toolkits, policies and researches that have been implemented to respond to climate changes in water, agriculture and socio-economic sectors. The study also intends to offer country-specific strategies that could be adopted in order to enhance resilience through actions based on the combination of adaptation and development.