In April 2017, the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM) endorsed the Chairperson’s proposal to collaborate with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on the “ASEAN Peer to Peer Learning: Disaster Law and Policy Platform”. The collaboration seeks to address issues of disaster risk governance in ASEAN and aims to provide a platform for dialogue, shared learning, training and research on disaster law and policy frameworks, both in terms of development and its implementation, between ASEAN Member States (AMS). The peer learning platform is under the AADMER Work Programme 2016-2020 Priority Programme 4 on Advance, specifically Component 1 on “strengthening institutional capacity and policy frameworks for effective implementation” through “developing peer-to-peer support programme among ASEAN Member States to strengthen institutional and policy development related to DRR and CCA.” The first activity under this peer learning platform is the ASEAN Disaster Law Mapping which involved a comparative study and regional consultation on legal frameworks supporting domestic and regional preparedness and response mechanisms among ASEAN MS. This produced the “ASEAN Disaster Law Mapping: A Regional Stocktake” report which was officially launched on 02 May 2018. The report is accompanied with a compilation of country profiles and an updateable online resource platform. Building on this collaboration, ASEAN, IFRC, Thammasat University and other academic and research institutions based in Southeast Asia organized the 2018 Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Governance Academic Seminar from 24-25 September 2018, with a closed-door partners’ session on 26 September 2018. The Seminar aimed to enhance knowledge sharing on different climate-smart disaster risk management (DRM) policies and tools implemented across ASEAN, based on best practices in the region, for the benefit of policy-makers and other relevant stakeholders. In support of this outcome, the objectives of the seminar were to:

• Provide a platform for different DRM actors and academic institutions in ASEAN to share their academic and policy research among their peers; Increase the body of academic work on climate-smart DRM laws in ASEAN to strengthen the credibility of the thematic area within the region and provide credible resources for policymakers working on DRM laws and regulations;
• Enhance the engagement of academic institutions in ASEAN on climate-smart DRM law and policy; and
• Consider concrete recommendations and next steps to build on this peer learning platform.

In accordance with these goals, the Seminar was designed around presentations of shortlisted academic papers submitted by authors based in Southeast Asia, and parallel feedback sessions by the academic peer review committee members, IFRC and ASEAN. The authors were composed of academics and students specializing on disaster risk management, NDMO staff, Red Cross Red Crescent National Society staff and volunteers, IFRC technical staff, and non-government disaster risk management researchers. Details of the seminar as well as presentations and academic papers are available on the seminar official page. Opinion expressed in academic papers are of the authors and do not do not reflect IFRC’s policies nor opinions.