Climate adaptation in Asia: knowledge gaps and research issues in South East Asia

Full report of the South East Asia team:

This study embraces an understanding of adaptation that builds on the IPCC definition of actions that people take in response to, or in anticipation of, projected or actual changes in climate to adjust to and cope with impacts, moderate damages, and take advantage of opportunities. It also views adaptation as inextricably bound to multifarious economic, environmental and political stresses, social vulnerabilities and differentiated adaptive capacities of people in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region, which consists of countries that are low lying and archipelagic (Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia) and others that comprise a contiguous landmass sharing common borders and rivers such as the riparian countries of Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.

The report is divided into six main sections. Following the introduction, the second section explains additional background to the study, the conceptual framework, and methodology. The third section describes the current context of climate change adaptation research in SEA. The fourth section discusses existing adaptation strategies in the region. The fifth section presents major issues that emerged from the review and analysis. The final section highlights strategic points of entry, responding to major knowledge gaps, and pointing to key points of entry for research, key actors and partners, and efforts required for capacity building.