Climate Change Challenges in ASEAN-facilitated Interventions in the Mekong Subregion

This policy report analyzes the intersection of climate change and ASEAN-facilitated trade and investment policies within the Mekong subregion, highlighting the tension between economic growth through trade liberalization and the vulnerability of natural resources to climate risks.

• The Mekong subregion is highly vulnerable to climate variability and change, which threatens vital natural resources and agricultural sectors. While countries in the region have developed national plans of action to address these hazards, many continue to prioritize trade liberalization as a primary driver for sustained economic growth.
• National plans of action in the subregion have incorporated trade-related mechanisms to combat climate change, including market mechanisms for alternative energy and access to the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, though the role of ASEAN in these specific national plans is unclear.
• ASEAN-facilitated initiatives, such as hydroelectric dam projects and free trade agreements (e.g., the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement) that encourage mining, present a conflict between low-carbon or adaptation goals and the permanent loss of irreplaceable natural capital.
• The report recommends that ASEAN mainstream climate change concerns into its economic cooperation frameworks, conduct climate risk assessments for trading mechanisms and projects, integrate climate strategies into trade measures for mitigation, and develop alternative regional integration models to address climate concerns.

APA

Chandra,, J. D.-B. V. C. (2010). Climate Change Challenges in ASEAN-facilitated Interventions in the Mekong Subregion. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/climate-change-challenges-asean-facilitated-interventions-mekong-subregion

Chicago

Chandra,, Jessica Dator-Bercilla,Daphne Villanueva,Alexander C. Climate Change Challenges in ASEAN-facilitated Interventions in the Mekong Subregion. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/climate-change-challenges-asean-facilitated-interventions-mekong-subregion.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chandra, |first1=Jessica Dator-Bercilla,Daphne Villanueva,Alexander C. |title=Climate Change Challenges in ASEAN-facilitated Interventions in the Mekong Subregion |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=16 August 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/climate-change-challenges-asean-facilitated-interventions-mekong-subregion |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chandra2010climate, author = {Chandra,, Jessica Dator-Bercilla,Daphne Villanueva,Alexander C.}, title = {{Climate Change Challenges in ASEAN-facilitated Interventions in the Mekong Subregion}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/climate-change-challenges-asean-facilitated-interventions-mekong-subregion}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }