The ASEAN region is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world, and extreme climate events are projected to increase in frequency and intensity due to climate variation and change.
We have seen the impacts that proper preparation and resilience -building efforts can have in the face of disaster events. The APEC Climate Center believes that science and policy, when merged and effectively utilized together, can truly enhance disaster risk reduction and disaster management. Through the ASDMP project, funded by the Republic of Korea government, the APEC Climate Center has worked closely with the AHA Centre, ASEAN Secretariat, and the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management to enhance DRR and DRM in the region.
This research roadmap provides a guideline on a potential process that will help achieve the ASEAN region’s goal of becoming a global leader on disaster management by 2025. The ASDMP project team has travelled the ASEAN region to ensure the reflection of local knowledge in this roadmap, and surveys have been distributed widely in an attempt to fully understand the status of DRR and DRM in the region.
This roadmap has identified key research and initiatives that need to take place in the short and long term on both the country and regional level, in order to greatly enhance resilience to disasters in the ASEAN region.
APCC would like to thank the Republic of Korea government, AHA Centre, ASEAN Secretariat, the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, and the respective governments of the ASEAN Member States for their active participation and support throughout the project duration.
Dr. Hong-Sang Jung Executive Director APEC Climate Center
Message from the ACDM Chair
The ASEAN region sits between several tectonic plates, which cause many extreme climate events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. Also being between the Pacific and Indian oceans causes seasonal typhoons. The ASEAN region is prone to almost all types of natural disasters including typhoons, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, forest fires, epidemics, and droughts. These extreme climate events often transcend the boundaries of individual nations, and that is why we must work together across boundaries to limit the potential damages of these events.
Therefore, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025 stipulates on the paragraph D.1. that: A Disaster Resilient ASEAN that is able to Anticipate, Respond, Cope, Adapt, and Build Back Better,
Smater, and Faster.
I still remember my participation in the Kickoff Workshop for the ASEAN Science-Based Disaster Management Platform Project (ASDMP), which was taking place between 30th-31st March 2016 in Busan, Korea.
One of the above-mentioned workshop’s objectives is to Increase APCC’s network in the ASEAN region to increase the likelihood of cooperation and collaboration not only on the ASDMP Project but also on the future needs/projects. Today the objectives have been translated into concrete work. The Research Roadmap is an outstanding result, because this Disaster Roadmap management creates hope for all ten ASEAN Member States to use this as a guiding process for achieving the goal of becoming a global leader on Disaster Management by 2025.
On behalf of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management I would like to extend my gratitude and sincere thanks to the Republic of Korea Government, APCC, ASEAN Secretariat, AHA Center, and the respective organisations, and especially all of the experts for their close and fruitful contributions to the Research Roadmap.
Mr. Prasong VONGKHAMCHANH
Director General of Social Welfare Department
Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Lao PDR
Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management