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ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought
• To make ASEAN’s presence and compassion felt and seen by the affected population and where all assisting partners converge to a common objective to respond to the needs of the affected country.
The success of OAOR would be measured by ASEAN’s ability to mobilize the required assets and capacities to collectively respond to disasters with increased speed, scale, and solidarity, coordinated by the AHA Centre as the primary ASEAN regional coordinating agency and the SG-AHAC. The seven principal achievements are: • One Policy Framework (AADMER) • One Standard Operating Procedure (SASOP) • One Response Plan (AJDRP) • One Policy Body (ACDM) • One Point of Contact (the NDMOs) • One Regional Coordinating Agency (AHA
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Centre); and • One Field Coordination Centre (JOCCA).85
Among all disasters, droughts inflict the greatest economic loss in the ASEAN region. ASEAN adopted the Declaration on Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought in 2020, and it collaborated with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on developing the regional plan of action 2021-2025 to implement the declaration.86
Climate change, extreme weather events, the socio-economic impacts of successive droughts, and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are exacerbating the vulnerabilities of key sub-groups within the populations of ASEAN member-states. These vulnerable groups include smallholder farmers, households dependent on agricultural livelihoods, workers in the informal economy, and micro-, small-, and mediumsized enterprises. As ASEAN’s population is projected to increase from 661.5 million in 2020 to about 700 million people by 2030, there will be a corresponding increase in water consumption for agricultural, industrial, and domestic purposes. Thus, the potential impact of drought is a concern for ASEAN member-states and their leaders as it cuts across economic, political, and security concerns.
The ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought supported greater collaboration among the ACDM, relevant sectoral bodies, and stakeholders with the objectives of: • Developing an ASEAN Regional Plan of
Action for Adaptation to Drought • Establishing networks and a community of practice for adaptive learning and continuous improvement of drought risk management in different parts of the region, building on the traditional knowledge and local solutions of communities, and • Mainstreaming drought risks and disasters into the AADMER Work Programme and other relevant guidelines.
The ASEAN Regional Plan of Action for Adaptation to Drought (ARPA-AD) aims to enhance coordination at the regional, national, and international levels for achieving sustainable management of drought by considering the impact of drought on the livelihoods of people, natural resources and ecosystems, agriculture, energy, and sustainable socioeconomic development. ARPA-AD consists of nine groups of action covering partnerships, and coordination as well as the entire drought management cycle – i.e., 1) reduce and prevent, 2) prepare and respond, and 3) restore and recover. The actions are complemented by 26 sub-actions and an implementation plan covering 2021-2025.87
