Climate change is threatening the livelihoods and food security of millions of smallholder farmers and agribusiness who depend on agriculture in the South East Asia region. Despite the fact that the El Nino/Southern Oscillation system has such a major impact in the region and the impacts of which will be exacerbated under climate change there is little application of seasonal climate forecasting in managing the associated risks in the agricultural sector.
Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of climate and weather related hazards putting development gains at risk. By improving their disaster related information base, countries are better equipped to manage, prevent and respond to disasters. With funding from Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the project has focused on improving Lao PDR capacities in disaster risk reduction and early warning by installing a satellite data receiving system and providing specialized training for its operation and application.
Flash floods are among the world’s deadliest natural disasters with more than 5 000 lives lost annually. Their social, economic and environmental impacts are significant. Accounting for approximately 85% of flooding cases, flash floods also have the highest mortality rate among different classes of flooding, including riverine and coastal. Flash floods differ from river floods in their short time scales and occurrence on small spatial scales, which makes flash flood forecasting a different challenge from large-river flood forecasting.
The Southeast Asia Flash Flood Guidance System (SeAFFGS) has been officially launched, ushering in the prospect of improved early warnings for a major natural hazard, which accounts for a significant portion of the lives lost and property damages due to flooding in the region.
A successful six-year, 10 million Canadian dollar project, funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), has strengthened the quality and availability of impact-based forecasts and services to support communities in Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Pacific.
A 12-day online workshop on Severe Weather and Impact-Based Warning Services was conducted to strengthen capacity and resilience in South and South East Asia.
The ASEAN Climate Outlook Forum has issued its seasonal forecast for the summer monsoon season, June-July-August 2020 over Southeast Asia, taking into account the possible influence of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on the climate system over the region.
