As climate disasters grow more frequent and severe, policymakers and experts are urging Southeast Asian nations to address gaps in managing climate-related loss and damage, warning that vulnerable communities remain at risk.
The issue took center stage during the ASEAN Knowledge Exchange on Loss and Damage and Comprehensive Risk Management, held as part of ASEAN Climate Week 2026. Organized by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit under the ASEAN EU-German Climate Action Programme, the forum brought together representatives from the Philippines, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Singapore, and Thailand.
Discussions highlighted uneven preparedness across the region. While some countries have advanced climate data systems and social protection frameworks, others are still building basic disaster response capacities.
“Across ASEAN, capacity to respond to loss and damage varies widely,” said Sao Samphors of Cambodia’s Ministry of Environment. “That gap is what puts people at risk.”
Even where policies exist, including Nationally Determined Contributions and adaptation plans, implementation remains inconsistent. Santosh Manivannan, chair of the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change, noted that climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts are often fragmented.
“We must break sectoral walls,” he said, adding that disconnected systems delay assistance and reduce effectiveness during disasters.
Participants also raised concerns about the region’s fragmented data systems. The lack of standardized, accessible data limits timely decision-making and the equitable distribution of support. Experts called for improved data integration and the use of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to strengthen disaster response and social protection.
Regional cooperation was identified as key to addressing these challenges. Vong Sok of the ASEAN Secretariat urged member states to maximize existing platforms, such as the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change and the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management, to better coordinate strategies and resources.
Proposals from the forum included developing a unified regional metric to track loss and damage, strengthening shared data systems such as the ASEAN Disaster Information Network, and establishing a dedicated coordination mechanism to address issues such as sea-level rise, displacement, and relocation.
Experts also emphasized the need for a clearer regional definition of “loss and damage” to improve policy alignment and access to international support.
Government officials highlighted the human impact behind these discussions. Undersecretary Analiza Rebuelta-Teh of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources stressed the need to scale up adaptive social protection systems.
“We need both national action and regional solidarity, so no community is left behind,” she said.
Participants concluded by backing stronger cross-sector coordination, standardized monitoring systems, and the creation of a regional sub-working group to address legal and governance challenges related to climate displacement.
They also endorsed a region-wide study on ASEAN’s readiness to manage loss and damage, seen as a key step toward translating policy discussions into action.