PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The First UNCCRD Delta Summit 2025, themed “DeltasUNite to save our deltas” is aimed at delivering a White Paper to the United Nations to make operational the UN Convention for Conserving River Deltas (UNCCRD), unveiled and approved at COP28.
The event targets the critical challenges threatening river deltas worldwide, emphasizing the need for urgent, collaborative action to protect these ecosystems. River deltas, home to over half a billion people, face severe threats from climate change impacts—like sea-level rise and flooding—compounded by pollution and urbanization. Deltas such as the Chao Phraya, Mekong, Niger, and Nile face risks to biodiversity, food security, and local communities.
The summit will gather diverse stakeholders, including governments, academia, private sectors, and indigenous communities, to forge policies for delta conservation under the new United Nations Convention for Conserving River Deltas (UNCCRD), increased stakeholder collaboration, and the groundwork for an UN-recognized Global Deltas Day.
Through plenary sessions, workshops, and discussions, participants will address topics including pollution, biodiversity loss, climate change, human rights, and transboundary cooperation.
The summit will also address the urgent need for community-driven governance to secure the future of river deltas, focusing on sustainable development, locally led adaptation, and raising resilience.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Disasters and climate change have multi-dimensional economic impacts in Thailand, borne mostly by agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and business sectors. These sectors are expected to face severe unpredictability due to climate change threatening the national economy, global supply chain, and people’s livelihoods. Accordingly, AIT initiated the Higher Education Industry Partnership Forum for Climate Resilience (HEIP-CR) in November 2024 to facilitate discourse on climate-change induced challenges faced by Thailand’s industrial sector and provide a platform for education-industry engagement to develop and implement sustainable and resilient solutions. The targeted sectors were agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, and energy. The forum was launched in a commemoration event of the 20th Anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami which was graced by the attendance of General His Serene Highness Prince Chalermsuk Yugala.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
To cope with the intensifying pressures of urbanization, rural depopulation, climate change coupled with the new and emerging risks, there have been growing calls to maximize the vitality of city regions through sustainable, equitable and efficient use of available resources. Correspondingly, the Circulating and Ecological Sphere (‘CES’) approach also emerges as a multiscale and multi-dimensional approach for localization of integrated climate and sustainable development actions, as it directs localities toward effectively utilizing the locally available resources to realize a self-reliant and decentralized society, while leveraging on its co-benefits for economic revitalization, localization of SDGs, and other important agendas.
The regional workshop titled “Traversing interconnected local-to-global action spheres to advance the Post-2030 agenda” was co-organized by AIT in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and START International. The workshop brought together diverse stakeholders to establish a co-learning platform for the purpose of sharing knowledge and insights from CES partner cities as well as similar development-based efforts to promote localization of global goal and consolidate CES and related frameworks in Asia.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The 3rd International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development (DRSD 2023)” was conducted on 7 and 8 December 2023 at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). The in-person event gathered experts, practitioners, policymakers, early career researchers,
research leaders and social motivators from Asia Pacific and beyond to present a discourse on improving development practices to reduce long-term complex risks from disasters and climate change and promote equitable society with sustainable development. The program included keynote speeches, panel discussions, technical sessions, poster presentations, and academic exhibitions The organization of DRSD 2023 is led by AIT and supported by partner institutions. Over 240 experts and practitioners from 25 countries in Asia and beyond attended the two-day event, delivering technical presentations and observing first-hand key discourses on risk, resilience, and sustainability issues in the region. DRSD 2023 was the third instalment of the DRSD conference series.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: This project co-developed model multidisciplinary postgraduate course curricula on disaster risk management and sustainable development through disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development education capacity assessments among the Higher Education Institute (HEI) network. The project identified and mapped DRR interventions in the Asian region that contributed to sustainable development. One of the major outcomes of the project was building academic alliances to promote the sustainability paradigm in postgraduate education and research for disaster resilience through a DRR curriculum workshop, webinar, and international conference. |
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The first Regional-CES National Workshop in Thailand, under the theme **”Promoting the Regional Circulating and Ecological Sphere (Regional-CES) Concept for Resilient and Sustainable Communities,”** was successfully organized on October 20–21, 2022. Hosted by the Disaster Preparedness Mitigation and Management (DPMM) program of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in collaboration with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), the hybrid workshop featured opening remarks by Mr. Yasuo Takahashi, Executive Director of IGES. Key addresses were delivered by distinguished guests, including Prof. Kazuo Yamamoto, President of AIT, and Dr. Monthip Sriratana, Senior Adviser to the National Research Council of Thailand and APN National Focal Point for Thailand.
The workshop brought together academics, community practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and private sector representatives from Thailand, Japan, India, and Indonesia. Participants exchanged practical experiences and engaged in discussions on the challenges, barriers, and applicability of the Regional-CES concept in the Thai context. A key outcome of the event was the co-development of development plans and priorities aligned with the CES framework, aiming to foster resilient and sustainable communities in Thailand.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Training Workshop and Study Visit on Livelihood Resilience, Public Service Management, Town Planning, and Agriculture was held from 6 to 15 March 2022 in Bangkok, Thailand. Organized by the Disaster Preparedness, Mitigation, and Management (DPMM) program of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, in collaboration with Sceptre Tours and Travel, Nairobi, Kenya, the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of Kenyan government officials in areas such as livelihood resilience, public service management, town planning, and agricultural development. The 10-day program included interactive training sessions delivered by international trainers and field study visits to various sites, including agricultural facilities, public service institutions, and township planning areas.
Participants included governors, county secretaries, and chief officers from different counties in Kenya. The training focused on sharing best practices, offering exposure to advanced agricultural technologies, and providing hands-on experience in sustainable planning and development. The workshop concluded with local site visits and cultural activities, ensuring a comprehensive approach to capacity building in disaster resilience and sustainable development. Dr. Indrajit Pal from AIT served as the lead faculty for the program
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The International Symposium on Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development (DRSD-2019) was held in March 2019 at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand.
The symposium gathered experts, practitioners, policymakers, and students from Asia and beyond to discuss strategies for enhancing disaster resilience and promoting sustainable development. The event featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, technical sessions, and academic exhibitions, providing a platform for participants to share knowledge, build networks, and explore collaborative opportunities in disaster risk reduction and sustainability.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Training Program on Disaster Risk Management and Governance aimed to increase efficiency in disaster preparedness, mitigation, and management to minimize the loss of life and property in disaster or emergency situations. During the training workshop, case studies and best practices from international perspectives were delivered by international trainers, followed by a field study visit.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The “Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development Education Network in Asia” project (2018–2019) established a working group of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under the ProSPER.Net umbrella. This initiative formed a robust regional network capable of leading efforts to protect society from various shocks—physical, socio-cultural, politico-economic, and natural—thereby enhancing the region’s sustainable development potential. The working group focused on curriculum reform to integrate sustainability into postgraduate programs and developed a multidisciplinary curriculum mapping tool aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
This project aimed to establish a working group on Higher Education Institutions for Disaster Resilience and Sustainable Development under the ProSPER.Net umbrella. Its goal was to form a robust regional network with the collective capacity to lead initiatives that protect society from shocks to physical, socio-cultural, politico-economic, and natural systems, thereby enhancing the potential for sustainable development in the region. The working group pursued curriculum reform to integrate the sustainability agenda into postgraduate courses, curricula, and programmes, along with developing a multidisciplinary curriculum mapping tool focused on the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The international workshop on “Disaster Resilience and Business Continuity Planning,” held from June 11 to 13, 2018, at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, focused on promoting safety and resilience in public and private hospitals, schools, and other critical infrastructures. Organized by AIT in partnership with PSBA-Manila and other stakeholders, the event emphasized disaster risk reduction (DRR) and resilience strategies through governance, education, and technology frameworks.
The workshop featured discussions on key issues of disaster risk in Asia, economic impacts of disasters, and local government initiatives in disaster management. Experts from various sectors
shared insights on business continuity planning, urban fire risk mapping, and the role of higher education in DRR. Additionally, group assignments and a field study visit enriched the participants’ understanding of real-world disaster management practices.
The event underscored the importance of public-private collaboration, innovative research in higher education, and community engagement in building resilient societies. It concluded with key recommendations on policy development, capacity building, and sustainable growth for disaster-prone regions.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The research project explored critical factors affecting educational continuity during urban flooding in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand—regions frequently impacted by recurrent floods. It aimed to identify key blockers and enablers of educational continuity in primary, middle, and high school institutions. The study utilized qualitative methods, including semi-structured interviews and focus groups with students, parents, teachers, and policy informants.
Key findings highlighted significant impacts of urban flooding on school communities, including the need for improved policies on flood risk reduction. The research also emphasized the importance of adaptive measures such as safer school facilities, flexible academic calendars, and disaster preparedness education. The project contributed valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and international organizations working on enhancing school resilience in South and Southeast Asia.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The research project investigated the critical factors affecting educational continuity during urban flooding in South and Southeast Asia. It focused on three countries—Bangladesh, Thailand, and Vietnam—which are recurrently impacted by floods. The research specifically aimed to identify the main blockers and enablers of educational continuity. To achieve this objective, primary, middle, and high school educational institutions were selected for analysis in each country.