Addressing Climate and El Niño-related Risks in Southeast Asia

The direct target groups include subnational authorities and stakeholders, concerned national government agencies (e.g., NDMAs and ministries in charge of natural resource and water management as well as climate change) and regional organisations (UNESCAP, ASEAN, MRC and ADPC).

Indirect target groups include populations at risk in priority provinces in Lao PDR and Indonesia.

Lao PDR: Campasak, Salavan, Attapeu and Sekong provinces targeted for the planned expansion of PIN’s EWS project from Cambodia to Laos2. The population of the four provinces in Lao PDR are approximately 1.5 million.

Indonesia: West Sumatra and Central Sulawesi targeted by SDC’s Direct Action Project with BNPB 3 . The population in the two Indonesian provinces is approximately 8.7 million.

Outcome 1: Capacity of subnational beneficiaries and other stakeholders to validate, operationalize and utilize geospatial data for development, DRM and climate purposes enhanced.

Outcome 2: Regional cooperation among the ASEAN and MRC Member States as well as between the Member States and Switzerland enhanced in the use of geospatial data for development and DRM purposes. The regional component will be supported by ADPC and by SDC’s ongoing collaboration with UNESCAP and the AHA Centre, BNPB Indonesia and People In Need (PIN) in Lao PDR. Key findings and recommendations will be recorded in regional guidelines on subnational risk assessments and contribute to updating SDC’s CEDRIG tool.

Expected results:  

Output 1: Tailored geospatial products with operational value for subnational authorities and field implementers.

Output 2: Strategic recommendations for the integration of GIS and remote sensing into fieldbased development cooperation, as well as DRR and climate initiatives.

Output 3: Documentation from interactive workshops for subnational authorities and beneficiaries in Lao PDR and Indonesia, designed to foster dialogue, build capacity, and engage stakeholders.

Output 4: Documentation from the regional workshop in Bangkok centered on the use of geospatial technology and GIS for subnational risk assessments and development purposes.

Output 5: Operational subnational guidelines outlining recommendations for incorporating geospatial data into disaster and climate risk assessments in the region.

Results from previous phases:   The Southeast Asia region is rapidly recognising the significance of geospatial data in enhancing development, DRM and CCA. Yet, the successful integration and application of spatial data in development, DRM and CCA is often impeded by technical, institutional and financial challenges. With the ever-increasing amount of spatial data available on the internet and accessible through web-applications, computer-software and mobile apps, it is becoming increasingly important to assess the validity and utility of such data for operational and field purposes.