Publications
In the WorldFish 2023 Annual Report, titled “Aquatic Food Systems: The Next Frontier,” WorldFish scientists share their contributions to scientific advances and pioneering research that are reshaping our vision for sustainable food systems.
Our work in 2023 highlights a range of transformative projects, from breakthroughs in aquatic animal biosciences to the development of sustainable systems that can bring about systemic changes at scale.
We’ve co-developed these solutions through close collaborations with our local, national, and international partners, supported by our donors. This collaborative spirit underpins our journey toward leveraging the unique potential of aquatic food systems to combat hunger and poverty, eliminate pervasive malnutrition, and restore biodiversity.
Climate change has emerged as the central issue of our time. Over recent decades, public recognition of its imminent dangers has grown significantly, especially as the window for effective action narrows, while the impacts of climate change are increasingly evident worldwide. This escalating situation is underscored in the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2023, which describes the “increasingly serious threat” posed by climate change-induced disasters across the Asia-Pacific. Notably, South-east Asia faces heightened risks, with Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam ranking among the top 10 nations for the number of disasters recorded in 2022.
Climate action has increasingly become central to discussions about climate change, focusing especially on how individuals, communities, and nations can both adapt to and mitigate the swiftly escalating impacts of climate change globally. However, it is equally important to discuss the potential negative outcomes of these climate actions, known as climate maladaptation and malmitigation. These terms denote actions that not only fall short of mitigating climate change and adapting to climate risks but could also inadvertently worsen them.
Hydropower and water storage dams
Hydropower and water storage dams are key components of climate action pro-jects in Southeast Asia, a region that seeks sustainable solutions to meet its growing energy demands and manage its water resources amidst the challenges posed by climate change.
Southeast Asia has heavily invested in hydropower as a renewable energy source to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Countries like Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia have developed extensive hydropower facilities, capitalising on their river systems. Hydropower projects, such as those on the Mekong River, supply substantial energy to the region, supporting economic growth and regional energy needs. However, these projects are not without controversy, as they can disrupt local ecosystems, displace communities, and alter river flows, affecting downstream agricultural activities.
For example, the human security impact of the collapse of the Xe Pian-Xe Namnoy Dam in 2018 sparked debate anew on risks associated with Mekong dams as thousands of indigenous and local communities were displaced. The construction of Lower Sesan 2 Dam caused the displacement of nearly 5,000 people, mostly indigenous peoples and other ethnic minorities who have lived in villages along the Mekong riverbanks for generations.
The operation of massive upstream dams has resulted in the decline of water flow, according to scientists and environmentalists. The lack of vital sediment would be felt severely in the future when all mega-dams being built in the Upper Mekong River Basin are completed. The inadequate water flow to the agricultural plains of the Mekong Delta, known as Vietnam’s rice bowl, means decreasing level of rice production. This has severely affected agricultural productivity in the delta, illustrating the negative, compounding consequences of both mega-hydropower dams and climate change effects.
Beyond energy production, water storage dams in Southeast Asia play crucial roles in water supply and flood management. These dams help manage water resources, ensuring steady supply during dry periods and mitigating flood risks during rainy seasons. For instance, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam use dams to address water supply shortages and regulate water for agricultural irrigation, which is vital for food production and rural livelihoods. Like hydropower, the construction and operation of water storage dams must balance environmental and social impacts, particularly concerning the displacement of local populations and impacts on local wildlife and natural habitats.
Stakeholder involvement and environmental and social safeguards
As part of climate action efforts, both hydropower and water storage dams are seen as dual-purpose solutions that address energy security and water management. They contribute to national goals of reducing carbon footprints and enhancing resilience to climate variability. Nevertheless, the deployment of these projects in Southeast Asia generate multifaceted challenges, including environmental degradation, social resistance, and cross-border water governance issues. The success of these projects as sustainable climate action initiatives depends on careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and adherence to environmental and social safeguards.
In order to fully understand the impact of a planned climate action measure, it is important to engage and consult with communities on the ground who would likely endure unintended consequences. There is a critical need to incorporate the diverse perspectives and agency of stakeholders including local communities in planning, implementing and building climate action projects. By gathering insights from diverse stakeholders, policymakers can better anticipate the impacts, thus enhancing the likelihood of successful outcomes in climate action endeavours.
Marine protected areas have played an important role in conserving and restoring marine biodiversity that is threatened due to the climate change. Indonesia has expanded its marine protected areas, covering 411 locations with more than 28 million hectares (about 9% of its territorial waters). Managed by different types of government units (national and locals), Indonesian MPAs located mostly in regions where the communities have high poverty rate and high inequality index. This paper explores the dynamic of the MPAs management in Indonesia, focusing on how they have addressed not only issues related to the biodiversity conservation but also the welfare of the community who live near MPAs. Employing mix method of the quantitative (secondary data) analysis and the qualitative primary data collection and analysis, the study was conducted in three different MPAs with different administrative status. This paper argues that despite the Indonesian government has shown eagerness to expand the quantity of MPA, their focus on the quality of MPA management is still lacking. Especially the focus on social aspects of the MPA management needs significant improvement to ensure improving the welfare of people and reduction of inequality among communities reside across coastal areas are integrated into its main missions.
Twenty years after the implementation of the Special Autonomy Law (UU Otsus) No. 21 of 2001, Papua and West Papua remain the two provinces with the highest poverty rates and the lowest human development indices in Indonesia. Despite the affirmative policies mandated by UU Otsus for indigenous Papuans (OAP), disparities persist between OAP and non-OAP communities in various dimensions. This makes OAP the most vulnerable group facing the covariate shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 and the ongoing conflicts. In this context, the role of social protection becomes crucial to enhance the resilience of OAP and prevent further vulnerability and marginalization.
Abstract
This research seeks to understand how a curriculum reform that emphasizes studentcentered learning influences classroom instruction. The new curriculum is designed by the government of Indonesia to grant autonomy to teachers in re-emphasizing learning according to the student’s needs and local context. Previous studies suggest that teacher autonomy in elaborating curricula and pedagogy is associated with student’s engagement and improvement in learning outcomes. Given the low autonomy of teachers in Indonesia, their responses can inform how we should formulate effective reforms. This research used a case study to investigate how curriculum reform is perceived by middle school teachers and how they translate it into classroom instruction. The data was collected through classroom observations and complemented by semi-structured phone interviews with 20 Math teachers in Jakarta and Central Java from November 2022 to February 2023. To avoid incongruous instruction, this research informs that countries with a long history of low teacher autonomy like Indonesia should not promote a grand education reform design without clear guidelines and adequate support. The reformers need to touch upon teacher’s beliefs about curriculum completion and didactic pedagogy before expecting them to change their teaching practices into active learning and exercise their authority in independently developing curricula.
About the publication
Abstract
Climate change processes are acknowledged as critical components of regional and international security, and there is scope for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (henceforth, ASEAN) to mobilise all segments of its population and existing plans of action addressing climate change to confront this challenge. The role of women in ASEAN’s peace and security and their role climate change mitigation can and should be acknowledged and strengthened systematically. The ASEAN Women, Peace and Security Regional Plan of Action (WPS RPA) offers such an opportunity for increased regional cooperation to build resilience and enhance resourcefulness of women’s formal, but in particular, informal networks. Although climate change does feature in the RPA, it is not within the specific focus of how the WPS framework might work in addressing the need for gender sensitive responses to the effect of climate change. This Insight discusses possible advantages of using the RPA in this manner.
We are pleased to bring you the eighth issue of Beyond Relief!.
In our Feature Article, Ms Jenny Torner discusses the need for responsible humanitarian logistics in the South Pacific
Islands.
This issue’s On the Ground features some of the relief and fundraising efforts that Singaporean humanitarian organisations
– Singapore Red Cross, World Vision – have undertaken as part of their response to humanitarian crises such as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the earthquakes in Herat, Afghanistan. It also features initiatives and projects our members have been a part of over the past year.
Our members from the academic community have also been keeping themselves busy. This issue includes several reports and journal articles, covering a diverse range of topics including displacement, climate security and post-disaster activities.
In the Spotlight features ongoing humanitarian campaigns by World Vision International.
Finally, we welcome your ideas, feedback and input and look forward to supporting joint efforts in research, networking and
knowledge sharing.
SYNOPSIS
The ongoing disruptions to maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Suez Canal have highlighted the threats posed by “food chokepoints” in the flow of agricultural products. Asian countries are likely to be impacted through delayed shipments and higher prices, given their reliance on imports from European and Black Sea markets. Policymakers and private sector planners must consider implementing short-term and longer-term measures as well as region-wide initiatives to leverage major agricultural exporting countries in the Asia-Pacific which can circumvent such chokepoints.
COMMENTARY
In recent years, global food security has suffered from overlapping crises caused by conflicts, geopolitical tensions, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in severe food supply disruptions. These disruptions have been accentuated by several “food chokepoints” such as in the Red Sea where Yemen-based Houthi fighters have attacked merchant ships and caused uncertainty in food shipments via the Suez Canal. The shipping traffic through the Panama Canal has decreased due to drought which also hit river transportation systems such as the Mississippi River and the Rhine River.
As the global food system is already increasingly dependent on the movement of food from a few major “breadbasket” exporting regions to food-deficit areas around the world – often through these “food chokepoints” – the reliance on specific shipping routes intensifies the pressure on global food security. It also impacts agricultural product competitiveness, delivery schedules, as well as food availability and prices.
Longer shipping durations also put perishable foods at risk, while shipping disruptions such as changes to shipping schedules strain cargo handling and road transport sectors, causing major delays.
What this Means for Asia
For both food-exporting and importing countries, challenges loom. Exporting countries may face profit margin pressures, which reduce the prices for producers while importing countries grapple with potential increases in transportation costs, which lead to higher food prices, greater price volatility, and altered consumption patterns. Southeast Asia, East Asia, and South Asia face heightened vulnerability due to their reliance on European and Black Sea markets for key agricultural products and fertilisers.
Import disruptions pose inflation risks, contributing to a cost-of-living crisis. In countries already grappling with crises like extreme weather (Pakistan), conflict (Bangladesh and Myanmar), economic turmoil (Sri Lanka), and political uncertainties (Thailand), food price inflation exacerbates poverty, stalling socioeconomic growth. The most impacted – the lower-income and middle-income households – may also face heightened malnutrition risks, threatening to reverse decades of development progress in Asia.
Implications of Trade Disruptions
The US announced plans in late December 2023 for a task force to counter the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea but immediate relief for trade disruptions and food price inflation is unlikely. Continued supply chain disruptions coupled with escalating geopolitical tensions, raise concerns about food and fertiliser supplies being weaponised, as exemplified in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Amid recurrent crises, urgent reforms to food systems are essential. Governments and policymakers must prioritise preparedness and resilience-building at national and regional levels to address food security issues and mitigate future impacts.
For the many net food importing countries in Asia, aside from increasing national stockpiles, governments and policymakers should diversify sources to mitigate supply chain disruptions. A good example is Singapore, which, while importing over 90 per cent of its food, has reduced vulnerability to food price and supply fluctuations through contact with more than 180 countries and regions.
This strategy has been largely successful, resulting in Singapore enjoying the world’s second most affordable food, behind Australia. The average Singaporean household spends less than 10 per cent of monthly expenses on food, in contrast with the Philippines’ 38 per cent. Additionally, the Philippines, which has a large food deficit, ranks low in affordability, importing nearly 80 per cent of its agricultural imports. Food inflation in the Philippines reached 8 per cent in 2023.
Facilitating Food Access
Nationally, governments must implement early action plans and bolster social safety nets to ease the burden of the cost-of-living crisis. Initiatives like food relief, cash support, and food voucher programmes for lower-income households can help alleviate the burden. Subsidies and tax measures, which can provide temporary relief, may also be considered.
With average households spending over a third of their income on food in countries like the Philippines, and lower-income households in countries like Indonesia spending up to 64 per cent on food monthly, addressing food price inflation is crucial to safeguard average and lower-income households from undernutrition.
Increasing Intra-regional Food Trade
To address the interconnected issues of food availability, access, and affordability, Asian governments reliant on food imports could sign agreements with agricultural exporting countries in the region such as grain and oilseed powerhouses Australia and New Zealand. Doing so can avoid risks posed by chokepoints.
Greater focus on intra-regional trading could also be encouraged, such as in Southeast Asia, which has large exporters of key agricultural products including rice (Vietnam and Thailand) and palm oil (Malaysia and Indonesia). Increased intra-regional trade could reduce regional food import dependency while also increasing regional food accessibility, market stability, and economic development.
This could be supported by initiatives to encourage investments in agricultural research and development in the region to boost the production of other staples (such as wheat) and reduce reliance on imports.
Looking Ahead
For Asian governments and policymakers, the ongoing supply chain disruptions in the Middle East are a reminder of the importance of resilient national and regional food supplies and agrifood systems. Amid continuing food price inflation and malnutrition, countries must seek to address these interlinked concerns at national and regional levels in both the short and long term. By implementing policy measures such as food import diversification and strengthening social safety nets, the region has a better chance of bracing itself for the food security challenges ahead.
About the Author
Genevieve Donnellon-May is a Research Associate at the Asia Society Policy Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Paul Teng is an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre), S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.
Recognizing the richness of its biodiversity and the escalating threats posed by globalization, climate change, and human activities, Southeast Asia has early on acknowledged the importance of developing and maintaining robust biosecurity practices.
Biosecurity is defined by the 2020 WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual as “principles, technologies, and practices that are implemented for the protection, control and accountability of biological materials and/or the equipment, skills and data related to their handling.” It essentially aims to safeguard human, animal, and environment from the threat, deliberate misuse, or accidental release of dangerous biological agents.
The Impacts of Globalisation, Climate Change and Human Activities on Biosecurity
One of the more pressing issues associated with biosecurity in Southeast Asia is the notable rise in the frequency and impact of transboundary disease outbreaks in recent years. In 2021, a significant 20 to 30 percent decrease in Vietnam’s pig population occurred as a result of African Swine Fever (ASF), causing severe economic losses primarily for medium to large farms lacking modernized equipment. Simultaneously, Central Luzon in the Philippines, a region known for its major contribution to the industry, witnessed an unexpected 50 percent pig production decline and incurred a loss of P100 billion due to the same disease. This decline has led to a massive issue with food supplies in a country where, on average, 17.6 percent of the population suffers from food insecurity.
Another major biosecurity concern which warrants the implementation of strong biosecurity frameworks in Southeast Asia is the introduction of invasive alien species (IAS) as a result of extreme climate change. Under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), IAS are “alien species whose introduction and/or spread threaten biological diversity.” Indonesia has recorded 181 invasive species, while the Philippines has documented 148, and Malaysia has identified 145. These IAS have depleted water resources, threatened indigenous species, harmed pollinators, and contributed to land degradation and poverty in the region.
Human involvement also exacerbates numerous global biosecurity issues, with Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) ranking as the fourth-largest criminal activity globally. Southeast Asia is a major hub for this illicit trade, resulting in an annual loss of over 100 tigers, 1,000 rhinos, 20,000 elephants, and 200,000 pangolins, among other various species.
In Indonesia, experts have consistently highlighted the biosecurity risk associated to the illicit Bali Bird, which, spanning two city blocks, is much smaller than Jakarta’s Pasar Burung Pramuka, the largest bird market in Southeast Asia. Notably, it also pales in comparison to the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan, China, where COVID-19 is believed to have originated, potentially jumping from bats to another species before affecting human.
Whenever wild animals and people are in close proximity, there is always a health risk. Hence, the region must acknowledge the urgent need for coordinated efforts to address and mitigate biosecurity risks associated with such trade, as these animals may carry diseases that can cause transboundary disease outbreaks.
What has been done?
While there are still no dedicated regional instruments addressing biosecurity challenges, the nations in the region have actively initiated and supported various biosecurity programs to address the challenges posed by malicious biological entities. The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Animal Health and Zoonoses (ACCAHZ) was established in 2016 to furnish policy and technical assistance to ASEAN member states in formulating and implementing regional strategies aimed at preventing, controlling, and eradicating transboundary animal diseases.
Furthermore, task forces like the ASEAN Working Group on the Illicit Trafficking of Wildlife and Timber, founded in 2017, along with initiatives such as the 2023 ASEAN Action Plan for the Management of Invasive Alien Species (IAS), have been instituted to protect biodiversity and mitigate biosecurity risks in Southeast Asia.
Finally, complementing the centres and working groups are workshops on biosecurity that were organized to enhance the preparation of states, facilitating the exchange of successful strategies in promoting confidence-building measures (CBM) related to the internationally recognized Biological Weapons Conventions (BWC).
Although none of the mentioned biosecurity frameworks is flawless or legally binding, due to the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, states have made notable efforts to implement and uphold them. Lao PDR, for example, has revitalized its CBM submission process, aided by the European Union’s CBRN Risk Mitigation Centers of Excellence Initiative. In the same CBM context, the Philippines has facilitated training to design and provide technical support for other Southeast Asian countries. When it comes to the effectiveness of these new efforts, however, only time will tell.