Climate change will affect everyone but developing countries will be hit hardest, soonest and have the least capacity to respond. South East Asia is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change with its extensive, heavily populated coastlines, large agricultural sectors and large sections of the population living under $2 or even $1 a day.

This study by the ADB on the economics of climate change for South East Asia is the first regional report on the impacts, vulnerabilities, costs, opportunities and policy options for South East Asia, and, on this regional scale, globally. It is a very welcome contribution for policymakers, businesses, academics and civil society. It increases the national understanding in each country of the challenge of development in the face of a more hostile climate.

It provides important perspectives on the regional interdependencies of climate change impacts and policies and thus can help in the pooling of regional resources to address shared challenges; for example, the development of public goods for adaptation (including new technologies, disaster and risk management and water resource management) in the region. This is particularly important, given that the climate is likely to change significantly in South East Asia in the next 20 or 30 years.

The study both makes a major contribution to the understanding of climate change in the region, and greatly strengthens the global case for strong action.

Read the study