The ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought

On 10 November 2020, the ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought was adopted. This declaration thereafter was commended at the 37^th ASEAN Summit, which was held via video conference under the chairmanship of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam) from 11 to 15 November 2020. It shows a paradigm shift towards more adaptive drought risk management and governance. The Priority Programme 1 on risk assessment and monitoring and Priority Programme 2 on prevention and mitigation of the ASEAN Disaster Management Framework for 2021–2025 (AADMER) were developed considering the elaboration of the provisions of the declaration.

The declaration includes nine paragraphs, which list various actions to be taken to respond to the adverse influence of drought on livelihoods, natural resources, and economic development. Based on this declaration, the ASEAN Member States pledge to promote a longer-term, holistic, and more strategic approach such as a regional framework on adaptations and mitigation to drought, while strengthening coordination between ASEAN sectoral bodies to effectively address slow on-set and accumulative impacts of drought on the environment, agriculture, energy, and water.

The ASEAN Member States should further strengthen cooperation at the regional level in implementing their research and innovation development, and technology transfer in the field of climate change adaptation, water resource management, drought risks, preservation, and conservation.