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The document identifies heatwaves, flooding, droughts, and tropical cyclones as primary threats to agriculture and water in the Greater Mekong Subregion, leading to crop failure and infrastructure damage. While National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) exist in various stages across the region, implementation is hindered by institutional fragmentation, knowledge gaps, and a lack of consistent financing. The brief recommends strengthening policy integration, improving knowledge dissemination, and diversifying financial instruments—including grants and inclusive insurance—to support vulnerable communities.

The document identifies a critical gap between national-level policy frameworks for climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) and their implementation at the community level in the Greater Mekong Subregion. It argues that while GMS countries have foundational laws and policies, these are often siloed, lacking consistent standards and decentralized finance. The report advocates for scaling up successful community-led models, improving the accessibility of climate finance for local actors, and integrating DRR and CCA into a single, cohesive approach to better serve vulnerable populations, including women and ethnic minorities.

The EU-UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building Programme is a collaborative initiative funded by the European Commission and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. It aims to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to transition toward low-emission, climate-resilient pathways by supporting the development of GHG inventories, Low-Emission Development Strategies (LEDS), and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs).

The Stockholm Environment Institute's Water Beyond Boundaries (WBB) initiative aims to evolve water planning beyond the traditional Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) paradigm. WBB focuses on three pillars: extending management beyond the immediate watershed to include global resource flows, implementing multi-scale participatory tools to address social inequalities (including gender and poverty), and integrating ecosystem needs throughout the planning process. The initiative is being tested through pilot studies in the Mekong River basin and the Magdalena River Basin, while reflecting on previous work in California.

The report evaluates how SEI and ten peer organizations engage the public on climate change, combining an internal staff survey, a peer desk study, and case studies. It finds that while SEI uses a wide range of methods—from information extraction to participatory action research—there is a need for better internal knowledge sharing and more systematic impact measurement. Peer analysis highlights the value of targeted audience segmentation, the integration of web-based tools with face-to-face relationship building, and the use of diverse media to influence policy processes.

The document presents a series of supplemental tables mapping the climate change adaptation landscape in ASEAN countries. It identifies key decision-making bodies, such as Cambodia's National Climate Change Committee and Vietnam's National Committee of Climate Change, and lists guiding policies like the Thailand Climate Change Master Plan 2013–2050. The tables also catalogue agricultural research efforts, including the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security, and detail funding sources, noting a heavy reliance on external donors in countries like Cambodia and Myanmar, while highlighting specific financial constraints in Malaysia.

The analysis estimates that by 2100, the cost of ocean damage under a high-emissions scenario (RCP6) would reach US$ 1,980 billion, compared to US$ 612.2 billion under a low-emissions scenario (RCP2.6). The avoidable damage—the difference between these two pathways—is estimated at US$ 1,367.4 billion per year by 2100, representing 0.25 percent of global GDP. The study focuses on five priceable categories: fisheries, sea-level rise, storms, tourism, and the ocean carbon sink, while explicitly excluding 'priceless' values such as biodiversity. It notes that the poorest countries, including those in Africa, East Asia, the Caribbean, and Pacific island nations, are most vulnerable to these impacts.

This report details an interdisciplinary Environmental Flows (E-Flows) assessment of the Nam Songkhram River Basin in Northeast Thailand. The study examines the critical relationship between the Mekong River mainstream and the Nam Songkhram floodplain, emphasizing how the annual 'flood pulse' sustains high aquatic biodiversity and local livelihoods. The findings highlight a transition from natural wetland habitats to simplified ecosystems dominated by agricultural land and industrial tree plantations, specifically eucalyptus. The report argues that upstream flood control infrastructure is largely futile due to the dominance of the Mekong's hydrology and recommends a holistic, multi-stakeholder approach to basin management to prevent further ecological collapse.

The document explores the difficulties of mainstreaming gender within the 'epistemologically masculine' fields of environmental science and natural resource management. Through conversations with SEI researchers, it identifies a tension between 'gender specialists'—who often face a lack of legitimacy compared to technical scientists—and women in technical roles who encounter 'testimonial injustice' and are frequently relegated to administrative tasks. The authors argue that overcoming these barriers requires moving beyond simple quantitative data (like counting people) toward a methodology that addresses power asymmetries, intersectionality, and the 'opportunity cost' of gender-unequal resource access.

The document describes a research framework for Work Package 3 of the CADWAGO project, focusing on 'systemic governance' of water catchments. It proposes viewing water catchments as 'social-biophysical systems' where human social systems and biophysical systems are 'structurally coupled' and co-evolve. The research aims to move away from linear models of knowledge transfer toward models of learning and adaptation, specifically investigating four key areas: history, facilitation, stake-holding, and reflexivity. The project utilizes systems theory and the metaphor of a 'helmsperson' to understand how governance can be adaptive in response to uncertainty and feedback.

The document evaluates Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), identifying successful practices such as agroforestry, mangrove rehabilitation, and circular farming. It highlights significant policy gaps in water resources and disaster risk management (DRM), alongside barriers including poverty, tenure insecurity, and a preference for 'grey' infrastructure. The study emphasizes the need for cross-sectoral coordination, innovative financing like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES), and the integration of local and indigenous knowledge to scale resilience.

The report details the creation of the LEAP Ireland 2050 model to simulate GHG emissions from Ireland's energy and agriculture sectors. It evaluates the impact of the 2019 Climate Action Plan (CAP) targets, specifically electric vehicle (EV) penetration and residential retrofitting, while introducing the Application Script Editing Tool (ASET) to improve model topology and sensitivity analysis.

The MTT Program supports four flagship studies focusing on the water-energy-climate nexus in the Mekong region, with a strong emphasis on gender equality and social inclusion (GEDSI). These include the SOS project on sustainable water storage in Thailand and Lao PDR; the Urban Heat Resilience project addressing urban heat islands in Thailand and Vietnam; the SAGAA project managing the transboundary Cambodia-Vietnam Mekong River Delta aquifer; and the ReTrEAT-Cities project developing participatory energy-neutral coastal retreat planning for cities in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam facing sea-level rise.

The Strategic Collaborative Fund Phase 2 (SCF2), implemented by SEI Asia and funded by Sida, operated from 2018 to 2023 to advance the 2030 Agenda in Asia. The programme focused on four components: inter-regional cooperation (ASEAN, China, and Europe), regional cooperation in Asia on transboundary issues, learning and capacity development via MOOCs, and programme management. Key achievements include the support of the China-ASEAN Environment Cooperation Forum and the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, the development of courses on human rights and gender equality, and the promotion of inclusive climate finance and nature-based solutions in South and Southeast Asian cities.

The report argues that the ocean is a victim of global market failure, where the true value of its ecosystems and services is ignored. It identifies six primary threats—ocean acidification, warming, hypoxia, sea level rise, pollution, and overexploitation of resources—and emphasizes that these stressors often interact synergistically. The authors quantify the 'cost of inaction' by comparing low and high emission scenarios, estimating that avoidable damages could exceed US$ 1 trillion per year by 2100. The document advocates for a shift from traditional cost-benefit analysis to a precautionary, insurance-based risk model and calls for integrated, cross-scale ocean governance to build ecosystem resilience.

The document argues that agroforestry provides a viable alternative to monoculture reforestation and intensified agriculture by creating multi-functional land-use systems. It highlights that 'land-sharing' through agroforestry can actually support 'land-sparing' by reducing the pressure to deforest for agricultural expansion. Using case studies from Sri Lanka and Vietnam, the brief demonstrates how home gardens and forest gardens increase tree cover and improve rural resilience. It also notes the success of nitrogen-fixing species in Africa and the use of rubber and cocoa agroforests in Indonesia and globally. The authors conclude that successful implementation requires secure land tenure, local context-specific choices, and inter-agency collaboration.

The document argues that multi-layered home gardens incorporating trees, shrubs, and crops enhance food security, nutrition, and climate resilience. It identifies key barriers to their development, such as insecure land tenure and water scarcity, and suggests that integrating home gardens into climate finance mechanisms like REDD+ could provide new opportunities for expansion.

The document examines water scarcity in the Mekong Region, highlighting a governance structure often dominated by top-down authority and a lack of enforceable water allocation rights. It notes that urban and industrial needs are typically prioritized over agriculture, leaving vulnerable groups—particularly women and the rural poor—at higher risk. The briefing also discusses the influence of international financial institutions and political motivations on irrigation infrastructure and the projected impacts of climate change, including increased temperature and seasonal rainfall uncertainty, which threaten agricultural productivity and food security.

The report examines the Jawa 9 and 10 coal-fired power plant projects in Cilegon, Banten, highlighting severe risks to public health and the environment. It argues that the projects are economically flawed, citing a Korean Development Institute (KDI) study that predicted a negative Net Present Value (NPV) for KEPCO. The document details the prevalence of acute respiratory infections (ISPA) among children in Cilegon and the broader ecological damage caused by coal transport and mining. It specifically calls for South Korean financiers, such as K-Exim and KDB, to withdraw funding to align with the 'Green New Deal' and global climate goals, noting that Indonesia's emission standards are significantly lower than those in South Korea.

The report examines the Java 9 and 10 Coal Power Plant (CPP) projects in Cilegon, Banten, funded by South Korean institutions including K-Exim, KDB, and K-Sure. It argues the investment is 'forced' and 'unprofitable,' citing a KDI pre-feasibility study showing a negative NPV for KEPCO. The document highlights severe health impacts in Banten, where Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) is prevalent, and notes that the projects exacerbate air pollution and increase vulnerability to pandemics like Covid-19. It further criticizes the use of Ultra Super Critical (USC) technology as insufficient for carbon reduction and points to the risk of natural disasters, such as tsunamis, given the plants' coastal locations. The report concludes that the investment violates South Korea's 'Green New Deal' and calls for the Indonesian government to cancel the projects in favor of renewable energy.