ASEAN agrees to enhance joint measures to address climate change impacts

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Stakeholders from several ASEAN countries have agreed to optimise joint measures to address damage and losses resulting from climate change, given that capacity disparities and fragmented systems create adverse impacts on vulnerable groups. This is the outcome of the “ASEAN Knowledge Exchange on Loss and Damage and Comprehensive Risk Management” agenda, as part of the ASEAN Climate Week 2026 in the Philippines, on Saturday (2/5). According to a written statement from ASEAN monitored in Jakarta on Sunday, the Chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change (AWGCC), Santosh Manivannan, highlighted that adaptation and disaster risk reduction in the region often develop separately. “We must break down the silos between sectors so that assistance reaches those who need it most,” said Manivannan. He also proposed utilising artificial intelligence (AI) for data collection and analysis, as well as social measures distribution, to enable targeted climate responses. “We already have the institutional architecture; now we must operationalise it to handle loss and damage from climate change,” said Vong Sok. During the agenda, stakeholders expressed concern over the ongoing data fragmentation, which leaves policymakers without a coherent data series across layers to support swift and accurate decision-making. They proposed developing a standard metric to document climate loss and damage, with the help of existing ASEAN facilities. According to senior researcher at the Resilience Development Initiative (RDI), P. Raja Siregar, defining the scope of climate-related loss and damage at the regional level will help align national policies and open up broader support. The ASEAN agenda can establish a series of strategic recommendations, one of which is strengthening cross-sectoral coordination at national and regional levels. Additionally, developing regional data standardisation for loss and damage, and establishing an ASEAN sub-working group to address challenges related to small islands and maritime boundaries.