Climate Resilience: An Economic Imperative for ASEAN

Climate resilience has evolved beyond an environmental concern to become a critical economic issue impacting Southeast Asia's competitiveness. Experts convened at the ASEAN Forum 2026 in Bangkok to address how climate exposure poses a direct threat to the region's economic standing.

Failures in managing extreme weather events, such as Thailand's experience with intense rainfall, stem from multiple issues. These include forecasting tools unable to track rapid rainfall changes, urban development encroaching on natural floodplains, and a fragmented governmental approach with numerous agencies managing water with little data sharing.

Despite these challenges, water is viewed not just as a hazard but as a productive resource with untapped economic potential. Water productivity has stagnated across Southeast Asia, indicating a substantial opportunity for growth by implementing more efficient water management strategies.

Experts emphasized the need for integrated design, moving away from solely concrete infrastructure towards nature-based solutions. They pointed to fragmentation in planning, regulatory lag, and the perception of resilience as an added cost as key mistakes. Addressing climate risks requires enhanced knowledge-sharing, empowering local governments and communities, and combining modern technology with traditional wisdom.

Ultimately, building ASEAN's physical resilience necessitates a holistic approach. This involves integrating existing resources such as shared data, nature-based design, community knowledge, and cross-border cooperation, underscoring that resilience is a shared responsibility for all stakeholders.