Coordination of the ASEAN Network on Promoting Climate Resilience of Rice and Other Crops – ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change (GAP-CC)

Background

Food security has been a long standing agenda for ASEAN, in particular with the increasing threat of climate change as South East Asia is identified as one of the most vulnerable regions in the world. ASEAN addresses food security, amidst climate change, through the ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework (AIFS) and the ASEAN Multi-Sectoral Framework on Climate Change (AFCC): Agriculture and Forestry towards Food Security.

In advancing these frameworks, the ASEAN Technical Working Group on Agriculture and Research Development (ATWGARD) passed a proposal that tackles the Promotion of Climate Resilience in Rice and Other Crops. This proposal was proposed by Thailand and adopted by ATWGARD.

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supported the project through the ASEAN-German Programme on Response to Climate Change (GAP-CC). GAP-CC supports ASEAN in advancing the formulation and implementation of regionally coordinated strategies and policies for food security and climate change.

The ASEAN Climate Network (CRN) was established to facilitate the review and development of the adaptive capacity¹ of ASEAN Member States (AMS) and enhance the climate resilience in rice and other crops.

Objectives

The overall objective is to facilitate a process of scaling up adaptive capacity amongst the AMS and enhancing regional cooperation to promote climate resilience.

Specifically, the project aims:

1. To promote a common understanding of the climate change related threat to the agriculture sector focused on selected crops (rice, maize, and cassava);
2. To identify successful practices and policies at the AMS level for tackling these climate change related threats that can be promoted and up-scaled; and
3. To identify common concerns and capacity needs, and propose regional support strategies and instruments to address these in a coherent manner.

Approach

The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) was commissioned by GAP-CC to coordinate the project at a regional level and in seven AMS. These include Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. National consultations are held in Member States complemented by national studies to assess climate change impacts on selected sectors in rice, maize, and cassava. The Climate Resilient Network links policy makers to scientific institutions (universities, national research institutions in agriculture (CAROl, NAFRI) and international (IRRI).

Partners

The assessment was undertaken in seven countries, by research institutions together with the ASEAN focal persons and in collaboration with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Research institutions include:

• Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDl) and the Royal University of Agriculture
• Indonesian Centre for Food Crop Research and Development (ICFORD) and the Bogor Agricultural University
• Laos National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and the Northern Agriculture and Forestry College
• Myanmar Department of Agricultural Planning / Department of Agriculture and the Centre for South East Asian Studies
• Philippines Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research and the University of Philippines Los Baños
• Thailand Department of Agriculture, Field Crops Research Institute & Rice Department
• Vietnam Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD)

Outputs

Project outputs include:

• National consultations for fact finding and sharing of results and national endorsement with relevant stakeholders related to climate resilience in the agricultural sector;
• National studies highlighting the sectors' contribution to food security and climate change vulnerability; selection of adaptation options and identification of regional areas of collaboration. It includes best case practices on adaptation options and technical and institutional I enabling factors²; and
• An integrated report indicating support for a process of regional cooperation, through sharing knowledge and good practice, to address climate changerelated threats to the agriculture sector, will also be produced.

A concrete guideline for adoption of technical and institutional recommendations resulting from this project is envisioned to be endorsed to the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Agriculture and Forestry (SOM-AMAF), which meets once a year (August 2014).

Vulnerability Index

A regional vulnerability index was developed in order to prioritize sectors critical for food security in the region that are vulnerable to climate change. The index included production, consumption and distribution factors of major crops. This was then evaluated for their vulnerability and climate change impacts, and to identify particularly vulnerable regions. Based on the index: rice, maize, and cassava were prioritized as sectors most important to food security, yet vulnerable to climate change. Regions within ASEAN were also then identified on which to focus on.

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¹ Definition of Adaptive capacity - The ability of a 'system' /organization/sector to design and implement effective adaptation strategies to adjust to information about potential and actual climate change (including climate variability and extremes), to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to cope with the consequences.
² Refer to the methodology paper for details.