Facilitating climate-smart land use in ASEAN

Project description

Titel: Climate Smart Land Use in ASEAN
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Country: Regional, South-East Asia
Lead executing agency: ASEAN Secretariat
Overall term: 2018 to 2021

Context

As major producers of agricultural products and with large forest landscapes, countries in Southeast Asia are highly vulnerable to climate change. At the same time, they are important actors in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by deforestation and forest degradation, and by certain agricultural practices. A large share of the people living in the region rely on agriculture, fishery and forestry for their livelihoods.

The members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its Member States have been addressing challenges related to climate change and food security through various regional policies and actions. However, the ASEAN Member States (AMS) and ASEAN working groups still face major challenges in implementing climate-related targets and action plans agreed at regional and at national level. Additionally, ASEAN’s international engagement needs to be supported further in order to develop joint policy positions and increase the visibility of the contribution of member states to climate change mitigation and adaptation in agriculture and forestry.

Objective

ASEAN bodies successfully coordinate regional contributions to international and national climate-policy processes for climate-smart land use. This helps member states to build resilience and adapt to climate change.

Approach

This project prioritises the following:

• Improving cooperation among AMS in agriculture and forestry. 
• Improving cooperation between AMS in international climate-policy processes in this area. 
• Enhancing synergies among ASEAN sectoral working groups dealing with issues of climate change and land use.

To attain these objectives, the project facilitates the exchange of information and knowledge in the ASEAN region on climate-smart land use within and between different stakeholder groups, such as ASEAN working groups, the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN), decision-makers and practitioners from AMS, scientific institutions, civil society organisations and private companies. It builds capacities for specific climate-smart practices in agriculture and forestry through workshops, training courses, communication and networking activities. It also facilitates the development of joint ASEAN positions on climate change and land use and their introduction into international forums such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

Together with working groups and networks, the project supports the development of guidelines and recommendations related to land use and climate change through ASEAN bodies and networks, and promotes their implementation in the member states. The project facilitates matchmaking between support needs in the countries and the support on offer for implementing climate-smart and climate-resilient approaches for land use. The project activities contribute to achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals as well as the Paris Agreement.

Results

The ASEAN Negotiating Group on Agriculture (ANGA) was formally established in 2017. 
Since then, it has been representing ASEAN positions on agriculture in the context of the UNFCCC framework. GIZ and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), have been supporting the group through negotiation trainings and facilitating coordination processes.

Together with the FAO, GIZ carried out capacity development and knowledge exchange activities contributing to the work of the ASEAN-CRN. In this context, representatives from nine AMS improved their leadership skills in promoting climate-smart land use by participating in the ASEAN Climate Leadership Programme (ACLP) 2020. The ACLP was implemented jointly by GIZ and the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA).

In 2020, the ASEAN Secretariat conducted a mid-term review of the implementation of the Vision and Strategic Plan for Food, Agriculture and Forestry /FAF) (2016 – 2025). GIZ contributed to this process by providing expert support in designing and conducting the review.

Last update: February 2021