The impacts of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic on the food and agriculture sectors of Southeast Asia are partly similar: threats to food security, health challenges, financial burden and disrupted supply chains, among others. The responses to both climate change and the pandemic are also interconnected, and can be combined effectively.
A recent policy review, Double Impact: COVID-19 and Climate Change in Food and Agriculture, published by the Climate Smart Land Use (CSLU) in ASEAN Project in cooperation with UNEP’s Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), discusses how the policymakers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) can consider short and long-term responses to both phenomena. It outlines – in practical terms – strategies and recommendations for policymakers in ASEAN to consider incorporating climate actions and investments into COVID-19 recovery in the food, agriculture and forestry sector.
The findings and key messages have been previously reflected together with the members of the ASEAN Climate Resilience Network (ASEAN-CRN) and further government representatives and experts from the region during a dialogue workshop on 8 June 2021, hosted by Viet Nam’s Institute for Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development. Please see: Interlinkages between climate change, food security and the COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia.
Based on the policy brief, the CSLU project together with creative team also developed a beautiful storybook to illustrate the nexus between COVID-19 and climate change in agriculture. A Story about Agriculture in Times of Climate Crisis and COVID-19 highlights specific key messages from the policy brief and presents them in an easy-to-understand and visually appealing way for policymakers and beyond.
The CSLU project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
To download the policy brief and graphic narrative publication, please visit: Study and Policy. Double Impact: COVID-19 and Climate Change in Food and Agriculture
Event Documentation
Exploring the nexus of climate change, food security and the COVID-19 pandemic, June 2021