SOUTHEAST Asian policymakers warned that the region must urgently strengthen its response to climate-driven loss and damage, as unequal capacities and fragmented systems leave communities exposed when disasters strike.
As part of Asean Climate Week 2026, the Asean Knowledge Exchange on Loss and Damage and Comprehensive Risk Management Training brought together officials from Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and regional institutions to share lessons and identify where their cooperation can turn plans into protection.Voices from national governments underlined the human stakes. Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh of the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) highlighted ongoing efforts to implement adaptive social protection and risk-transfer mechanisms but said, “We need both national action and regional solidarity, so no community is left behind.” In agreement was Sonekham Phommahaxay, deputy director, Disaster Prevention Division, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare of Lao PDR.“Across Asean, capacity to respond to loss and damage varies widely,” said Sao Samphors, vice chief officer of Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment. “Some countries have advanced climate-data systems and adaptive social protection; others are still building basic institutions. That gap is what puts people at risk.”While regional policy frameworks such as Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans and national disaster plans exist, implementation is often siloed. “Adaptation and disaster risk reduction frequently progress in parallel instead of as a unified approach,” said Santosh Manivannan, chairman of the Asean Working Group on Climate Change (AWGCC). “We must break sectoral walls, so assistance reaches those who need it most.”Regional cooperationA recurring concern was data fragmentation. Planners lack coherent, accessible datasets spanning global, regional, national and local levels, a problem that hinders timely decision-making and fair distribution of support after disasters. Presenters recommended standardizing metrics and exploring new technologies to close the information gap. They said it was time to explore artificial intelligence for data collection, analysis and distribution of social protection, pointing to the potential for faster, more targeted responses.Regional cooperation emerged as the practical pathway forward. Dr. Vong Sok, head of the Environment Division from the Asean Secretariat, urged countries to use existing Asean platforms, including the AWGCC, to harmonize approaches and pool resources. “We already have the institutional architecture; now we need to operationalize it for loss and damage,” he said.The participants called for concrete regional tools: a minimum-standard metric to document loss and damage using existing platforms such as the Asean Disaster Information Network. Another is a dedicated Asean coordination mechanism on loss and damage that could tackle technical and legal issues from sea-level rise to planned relocation. “Defining the scope of loss and damage at the regional level will help align national policies and unlock support,” said Research Development Initiative senior researcher P. Raja Siregar.The session concluded with a set of strategic recommendations: strengthen cross-sector coordination at national and regional levels; develop a regional measurement, reporting and verification, and data standard for loss and damage; and establish an Asean sub-working group to tackle technical, legal and governance challenges tied to displacement, small islands and maritime boundaries.The Asean Knowledge Exchange on Loss and Damage and Comprehensive Risk Management Training was organized by GIZ under the Asean EU-German Climate Action Program.
