Building Knowledge to Support Adaptation: Lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia

The document identifies a significant gap between climate research and practical application in Asia, noting that while national-level knowledge exists in some countries, sub-national and local levels suffer from severe data and capacity deficits. It highlights systemic barriers such as language, technical framing of research, and the underrepresentation of local traditional knowledge. The brief argues for a collaborative approach that integrates capacity-building with research, utilizes scenario-based analysis to manage uncertainty, and prioritizes the translation of technical data into local languages and simplified formats to support practitioners and policy-makers.

• National-level knowledge regarding climate change impacts and adaptation measures is inconsistent across Asia; countries like Bangladesh and the Philippines have established significant knowledge bases, whereas others have very little.
• Knowledge at sub-national and local levels is severely limited due to both systemic failures—such as inadequate training and dissemination—and a genuine lack of primary data, including hydrological models, meteorological records, and downscaled climate models.
• Language and technical framing act as major barriers to adaptation; most research is published in English, which is often inaccessible to national agencies and practitioners, and the technical nature of the research frequently fails to answer the practical questions of policy-makers.
• Local and traditional knowledge are essential for resilience but are currently underrepresented in national adaptation knowledge bases; the document suggests using participatory processes to bridge this gap.
• Climate uncertainty often paralyzes decision-making because officials prefer firm knowledge over the wide ranges provided by projections. Tools like scenario-based analysis and reframing goals toward 'safe to fail' strategies can help move action forward.
• In Laos, adaptation knowledge is fragmented, with significant progress at the local level via NGOs in agriculture, but critical gaps remain at the national level regarding water resources, meteorological data for disaster risk reduction, and public health data.

APA

Davis, M., & Walker, S. T. (2013). Building Knowledge to Support Adaptation: Lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-AKP-PB-2013-Knowledge-adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Davis, Marion, and Skye Turner Walker. Building Knowledge to Support Adaptation: Lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2013. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-AKP-PB-2013-Knowledge-adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Davis |first1=Marion |last2=Walker |first2=Skye Turner |title=Building Knowledge to Support Adaptation: Lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=2013 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-AKP-PB-2013-Knowledge-adaptation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{davis2013building, author = {Davis, Marion and Walker, Skye Turner}, title = {{Building Knowledge to Support Adaptation: Lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2013}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-AKP-PB-2013-Knowledge-adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }