Desktop Study on - Regional Climate Change Adaptation ...

Assessment of Capacity Gaps and Needs of South East Asia Countries
in Addressing Impacts, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Climate Change
Figure 2: National level synthesis on vulnerability and adaptation – an approach
Stage 4
Sector
Sector
Stage 1
Climate Change
Vulnerability
Food Security
Water Resources
Socio-economic
Demographic Pressure
Exploitation of Natural Resources
Emissions
Country
Specific
Climate
Change
Inititatives
Regional / National /
Sub-national climate
strategies
Climate Scenarios
Adaptation Pilots
Mainstreaming
Country
Sectors
Projects
Barriers
Socio-economic Conflicts
Gaps at all levels
Stage 5
Stage 2
Institutional Capacity
Public Outreach
Stage 3
Disaster Risk Management
Vulnerability Analysis
Source: Authors of this report
economic sectors; (ii) identify the lessons learnt,
to share among member countries for capacity
building activities; (iii) highlight gaps in country
level knowledge and capacity in the implementation
of vulnerability assessments; and (iv) identify
effective tools and methodologies, capacity building,
and institutional support modalities for vulnerability
assessments and adaptation activities.
A total of fifteen (15) key studies, each for Lao
PDR, Viet Nam, the Philippines, Indonesia,
Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and Malaysia, with
a focus on water, agriculture and food security,
and socioeconomic adaptation and climate change
related impacts in the last decade were reviewed. .
In order to exemplify the review/ or study process,
a country level approach was followed to synthesize
country level data, information and knowledge
towards adaptation methods, technologies, best
practices and mainstreaming approach to pave
a way forward in the significant developmental
endeavour of vulnerability and adaptation study. A
three pronged process covering regional, country
specific climate adaptation initiatives and local,
sub-national and national levels were followed. The
overall approach and processes pertaining to all
these steps were embraced with external factors to
keep the perspectives, while analyzing the data and
information gathered. To conduct the synthesis, a
five-stage process was followed.
Stage 1 in Figure 2 reviews the historical weather
data that are analyzed to understand its significance
in terms of climate change. Historical data are
important as they are used to establish the change at
sectoral levels such as water, agriculture and socioeconomic.
Impacts on these sectors are of varying
degrees in terms of climate parameters such as,
rainfall amount, number of rainy days, temperature,
intense rainfall leading to floods and changes in
tropical cyclone characteristics and frequencies.
Stage 2 focuses on the impacts of future climatic
conditions under projected climate change scenarios
through their vulnerabilities on food security,
water resources and socio-economic sectors. Since,
knowledge on uncertainty in climate predictions is
yet to be proven, as seen from available information
and knowledge, some aspects of downscaled climate
data and scenarios are covered. While analyzing
this top down process, where adaptation is imposed
from outside without much consultation or
interaction (and being science driven), an evaluation
of external factors such as, anticipated implications
of demographic pressure and exploitation of natural
resources are reviewed to ground the sectoral
approach for a reality check and to find a way
and status of the countries from an autonomous
adaptation to planned adaptation (or adaptive
capacities).
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