ASEAN countries have launched a community-based climate action initiative to strengthen mitigation and adaptation efforts across Southeast Asia.
The launch was marked by the handover of the ASEAN Community-Based Climate Action (CBCA) document from Laksmi Dewanthi, Director General of Climate Change Control at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, to Ahmad Farid Mohammad, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Sustainability of Malaysia, at the Indonesia Pavilion during the COP29 UNFCCC Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday, November 18, 2024.
The document, initially drafted during Indonesia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2023, will serve as a roadmap for enhancing community-based climate initiatives among ASEAN member states.
“ASEAN CBCA is a significant milestone reinforcing our united commitment to empower our communities in facing the urgent challenges posed by climate change. This initiative, led by ASEAN and its partners, reflects our shared understanding that climate action is driven by those most affected—our people,” Laksmi stated.
Southeast Asia is particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts due to its geographic, economic, and social characteristics. These impacts include rising sea levels threatening coastal populations, as well as increasingly frequent and severe storms and droughts.
Climate change challenges affect every sector and aspect of life across ASEAN. Studies indicate that without decisive action, the region could suffer economic losses of up to 35% of its GDP by 2050, affecting agriculture, tourism, and fisheries sectors.
Wahyu Marjaka, Director of Sectoral and Regional Resource Mobilization at Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry, explained that community-based climate action involves initiatives or programs engaging local communities in planning and implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or enhance their capacity to adapt to climate impacts, utilizing their knowledge, resources, and needs.
“While the government plays a supportive role, the leadership of action comes from the communities on the ground,” Wahyu emphasized.
To ensure the success of community-based climate action, six core elements have been identified, including robust policies, clear guidelines, coverage of vulnerable areas, well-prepared actions, broad stakeholder participation, and a strong monitoring and evaluation system.
Wahyu highlighted several examples of community-based climate initiatives already implemented across ASEAN. Indonesia, for instance, has the Climate Village Program (Proklim), which has reached 11,500 locations and communities as of 2024. Climate actions under Proklim are registered in the National Registry System (SRN) and contribute to Indonesia’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) achievements.
Ahmad Farid Mohammad shared that Malaysia has numerous community-based climate action programs, such as in Penang, a flood-prone area. Additionally, in a village in Kelantan, near the border with Thailand, the Malaysian government facilitates renewable energy use in mosques and encourages water-saving practices for ablution.
Ahmad noted that the ASEAN CBCA document, written in English, needs translation into local languages. “The document must be translated into the languages commonly used by communities,” he said.
