Leading University (from UK) : University of Southampton
Participating Universities: Newcastle University (UK) Kyoto University (Japan) Chulalongkorn University (Thailand) Can Tho University (Vietnam)
Project Summary:
With populations and economic activities concentrated along coastlines, and high dependence on agriculture and supporting water resources, ASEAN countries are highly vulnerable to climate change. To cope with sea level rise and greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events, development planning must strengthen adaptive capacity. Data may exist on a regional and local level, yet it has not been integrated into a robust framework of system risk. By taking this on we can significantly improve local and regional resilience and adaptation, actively ensuring community participation, including currently marginalised groups.
This project will build within-country capacity, and identify the data, modelling and workflow needs required, to effectively quantify water resource and flood management risks in two diverse ASEAN countries: Thailand and Vietnam. By establishing what data sets and models are required and designing analyses that bring these together we can assess risk in an optimal, accessible and policy-relevant way.
The Mekong Delta - recognised as one of the most vulnerable regions to sea level rise in the world – naturally brings the partners together to build on their research expertise. With match funding committed from UK partners, including Water Security and Living Deltas GCRF hub support, our aim is to map future climate change scenarios. The synergies here can be extended to an assessment of contextualisation in the broader ASEAN region. This leads us to include analysis of Thailand’s Chao Phraya basin. Through our interdisciplinary, challenge-led research approach this international consortium will produce a multi-scale climate adaptation policy and necessary capacity-building within the test catchments.
Under the supervision of experienced academics, the project will task ECRs in each of the participating institutions to identify the geospatial data sets and models required and outline associated key socio-economic, equity and economic impacts.
The impact will be felt in terms of social welfare in Thai and Vietnamese territories. This will be enabled with outputs such as a clear set of guidance for the development of gender- and equity-sensitive flood and water resource risk maps. Mid-project a policy brief will be specifically developed as a British Council contribution to COP26.
Objective of the Research:
- Undertake a review of the policy landscape, supported by a review of the key literature on flood and water resource management risk under climate change in the two study catchments, embedded in the national landscape.
- Audit existing socio-ecological and biophysical datasets and computational models required for risk analysis of climate driven water resource and flood risk management. Identify datasets currently lacking, and assess potential mitigation and adaptation strategies, to include nature-based solutions, and hard and soft measures to reduce vulnerability.
- Produce a conceptual causal model of risk, composed of hazard (probability, magnitude, duration), spatial exposure (location of populations, key assets and infrastructure) and vulnerability (gender, age, poverty, livelihood, sensitivity and adaptive capacity) to assess the socio-economic, economic and livelihood impacts on rural and urban communities with a focus on currently marginalised groups and gender.
- Develop an integrative spatialised, systems-based research bid that builds capacity for multi-scale decision-makers contextualised within the broader ASEAN region.
- Formulate a policy briefing document for COP26.