Scope
This one-year project (from April 2021) is being funded under the COP26 Trilateral Research initiative, which is supporting four research collaborations between universities in the UK, Japan, and ASEAN countries to address various aspects of climate change. This research partnership is looking at the data and models available for assessing and planning for water resource and flood management risks in Thailand and Vietnam, in preparation for the creation of a comprehensive planning tool for the region’s policymakers in the future.
Key insights
- The project focuses on understanding the risks related to water resources, in the context of climate change that is already in progress, so that policymakers can decide how to adapt.
- The research team has carried out an audit and review of the computational models and data currently available, as well as the policy structures in each country, and held workshops with stakeholders to identify their levels of concern about different hazards.
- Mapping the results in visual form has revealed some disparities. For example, there are no existing risk models for typhoons or cyclones, and very few for soil erosion, even though these are areas of concern for policymakers.
- Gender, culture, and literacy are the weakest areas in terms of policy and stakeholder concern, probably due to a lack of knowledge. The research therefore indicates that there is a need to raise stakeholder awareness of these topics.
Contributing to climate action
This project is a scoping study which identifies gaps in the existing data and models related to water resource and flood management risks. On the basis of its results, the research team plans to apply for further grants to develop flood and water resource risk maps, which could potentially be expanded to cover a larger geographical area.
Reinforcing COP26 priorities
Climate change is increasing the risks related to water resources, and the effects are often felt by communities which have few resources to cope with them. It is important to develop effective ways to assess these risks and adapt to the changing climate which take into consideration the social and economic factors which make particular communities particularly vulnerable.
Who’s involved?
University of Southampton (UK), Newcastle University (UK), Kyoto University (Japan), Chulalongkorn University (Thailand), Can Tho University (Vietnam)
Why the British Council?
The British Council has longstanding relationships with the higher education sector and policymakers in each of the participating countries, enabling us to run a research call and support the grant recipients in disseminating their findings.