Climate Change

The Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific (RRC.AP), an institute-wide centre within the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), is well positioned to provide national and local governments with information that is scientifically based and repackaged to be usable for their mitigation and adaptation planning and implementation processes. The RRC.AP's Climate Change Custer synthesises results of context-specific research and assessments undertaken by AIT faculty and RRC.AP experts and repackage them into policy-oriented knowledge products. The Cluster further utilises the knowledge products for training, mentoring and long-term capacity-building programmes for government officials and other stakeholders to help them prepare for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and for the achievement of climate related Sustainable Development Goals at the national level.

Current work streams of the Climate Change Cluster:

Low Carbon Technology Assessment

RRC.AP supports countries in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through the assessment of diffusion and transfer of low carbon technologies in the region.

Capacity-building for access to climate finance

The Cluster is engaged in building the capacity of countries of the region for preparing bankable and/or implementable project proposals on mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its adverse effects. This includes designing and rolling out practical training courses for government officials and developing learning materials.

Adaptation Planning and Monitoring

The cluster provides resources for informed decision making on adaptation strategies and actions at the national and local levels. It currently facilitates national adaptation plan (NAP) preparation processes of Thailand and Vietnam through the development, testing and demonstration of a monitoring framework and guidelines for adaptation implementation under the NAP. In addition, it designs and conducts tailor-made training for government officials and researchers on access to and utilisation of downscaled climate data for vulnerability and impact assessments and adaptation strategy formulation.

Adaptation Knowledge Management

The Cluster has been functioning as the Regional Hub of the Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) since its launch in 2009. In this capacity, it provides the APAN community with knowledge management services; collects and disseminates updated adaptation information through E-communiqué Newsletter; and contributes to agenda-setting of the APAN's flagship event, the Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum, which facilitates regional level knowledge exchange among over 500 participants annually.

Environment and Climate Change Assessments

In bridging the science-policy gap, the Cluster has engaged in a number of analytical assessments on the state of the environment and the climate system. The recent work includes the development of the National Environment Outcomes Summary for Cambodia and Laos that aimed at providing policy relevant information on environment and climate change issues as an input into the United Nations Development Assistance Framework and the United Nations Environment Programme Programming.

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Our Work

Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN)

As a core technical partner of APAN, RRC.AP acts as a science-policy interface that aims to provide resources for adaptation policy setting to countries in the Asia-Pacific Region. RRC.AP's work is mainly focused on synthesizing scientific and experience-based knowledge generated by adaptation researchers and practitioners to be relevant and useful at all levels of the adaption planning process. RRC.AP also provides services to APAN's knowledge management initiatives, including the monthly dissemination of updated adaptation information to over 5,000 subscribers of the E-communiqué Newsletter. RRC.AP further contributes to agenda-setting of APAN's flagship knowledge-sharing event called the Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum.

Low Carbon Technology Assessment

RRC.AP is focused in the transfer and diffusion of low carbon technologies (LCTs) to contribute in the reduction of GHG emissions and support the achievement of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) among countries in the Asia and the Pacific. Initial assessments included the needs assessments and technology mapping for Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Climate Finance

The cluster is engaged in building the capacity of countries of the region for preparing bankable project proposals on mitigation of climate change and adaptation to its adverse effects. This includes designing and rolling out practical training courses for government officials and developing learning materials. In 2015, the RRC.AP conducted a financial schemes assessment to identify the key factors in a successful transfer of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies in the region. Since the launch of the Climate Change Asia (CCA) in 2016, five successful training events have already been carried out covering the topics of managing project preparation for climate change adaptation projects and developing project proposals for climate change mitigation.

Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP)

RRC.AP as AKP's Secretariat led the regional knowledge sharing component. RRC.AP successfully established a regional mechanism for adaptation knowledge exchanges among various networks and individuals through the organization of three Asia Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forums and seven context-specific seminars, as well as by developing a climate change adaptation web portal that houses over 500 knowledge products. RRC.AP also carried out scoping assessments of adaptation knowledge and capacity needs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. RRC.AP further undertook pilot activities aimed at adaptation mainstreaming in local adaptation planning processes in Cambodia, Nepal and , drawing on the scoping assessment results.

Adaptation Planning and Monitoring

RRC.AP plays an active role in building the capacity of all stakeholders of the national adaptation plan (NAP) process in NAP formulation. In particular, RRC.AP facilitates the process of developing the monitoring framework and locally applicable monitoring indicators and data collection tools in Vietnam and Thailand, involving national and provincial stakeholders who are expected to contribute to the NAP process in both countries. In addition, RRC.AP intends to increase the access to, and understanding on, climate information among government and academic positions responsible for climate change impact assessments and national and local adaptation strategy formulation.

Environment and Climate Change Assessments

In bridging the science-policy gap, RRC.AP has engaged in a number of analytical assessments on the status of environment and climate change. The recent work includes the development of the National Environment Outcomes Summary for Cambodia and Laos that were aimed at providing policy relevant information on environment and climate change issues as an input into the UN Development Assistant Framework and UNEP Programming. Previous work includes supports for national governments in the Asia Pacific region to prepare quantitative assessments and the state of the environment (SoE) reports.