Youth are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also active changemakers today. They are capable of building bridges and fostering understanding, making their role in promoting peace more critical than ever. With approximately 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 worldwide, representing 16% of the global population, the sheer size of this demographic underscores their potential to drive meaningful change. The importance of this potential is also recognized in the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250, which acknowledges that youth are both vulnerable to potential conflict (globally and in ASEAN) and capable of contributing to building and sustaining peace and security. However, without structured programs and support, this potential often goes untapped. © The ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR)

“Resilience cannot flourish in an environment where those affected most by disaster and climate risk are excluded.” – Su Su Kyi, Professor, Department of Geology, University of Yangon A majority of the population in the ASEAN region live in riverine and coastal plains that are vulnerable and subject to periodic and extensive hazards, such as floods and landslides. Climate change has created an urgent need for the people of ASEAN to equip themselves against disasters and promote a shift from disaster response to building a disaster resilient community[1]. “Disaster Risk Reduction by Integrating Climate Change Projection into Flood and Landslide Risk Assessment (ASEAN DRR-CCA)” aims to demonstrate the integration of climate projections into flood and landslide risk assessments and equip ASEAN Member States with tools and techniques on risk assessments and mapping for better land-use planning. Here are four stories told by project stakeholders from Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Thailand based on their experiences in participatory on-site learning and integrated disaster risk reduction trainings conducted by the ASEAN DRR-CCA project. Read more Impact Stories on the DRR-CCA’s website.

Cities play an important role in the development of nations. They serve not only as hubs for economic and political activities, but also as centers of cultural interactions among its populace. Home to some of the fastest growing cities, the ASEAN region, like the rest of the world, also faces the challenge of balancing the economic benefits of urbanization and the environmental costs that go with it. In recent years, ASEAN has undertaken humble steps to address this challenge. It recognizes that a collaborative, integrated, and innovative approach is key to promote the development of ASEAN environmentally sustainable cities (ESC). Through the ASEAN ESC Model Cities Programme, a network of 40 ASEAN cities has embarked on a shared journey towards urban sustainability at the local level. Encouraging milestones were reached from the ESC pilot projects as seen from the stories of Da Nang in Viet Nam and Luang Prabang in Lao PDR. Da Nang’s environmentally friendly residential areas   Da Nang, a coastal city, is one of Viet Nam’s famous tourist destinations. Recently, the city took pride in hosting the 6th Global Environment Facility Assembly in 2018 and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in 2017. Such opportunities that have put the city in the international stage are encouraging for Da Nang to further step up its efforts to make the city an environmentally friendly city. From 2011 to 2015, the city participated in the ASEAN ESC Model Cities Programme. Its pilot project was on environmentally friendly residential areas. Through the ASEAN ESC Model Cities Programme, Da Nang established three models of environmentally friendly residential areas: 1) Chinh Gian Ward (Thanh Khe District), 2) Hoa An Ward (Cam Le District), and 3) Thai Lai Village in Hoa Nhon Ward (Hoa Vang District). “Like other rapidly developing cities in Viet Nam, Da Nang was facing a solid waste problem, in particular in suburban areas. Littering, low collection rate, and unsegregated waste were common practices, due to the community’s limited awareness,” said Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, Deputy Head of Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and Environment. Nguyen Thi Thu Ha shared that she was most proud when her office visited Chinh Gian Ward sometime after the assistance to the pilot project finished. She witnessed huge improvement in the residential area’s waste segregation and waste collection practices. “We hardly saw any litters on the streets,” she added. Instead of comprehensive yet complicated rules, the community introduced simple, practical rules that are unlikely to confuse and be resisted by the majority of residents who are not used to waste segregation. As these rules were agreed upon and enforced by the community members, they took effect quickly. For example, the pilot areas only separated wastes into 1) ‘recyclable’ waste with market value and 2) ‘all other wastes’, which must be placed in properly designated areas, instead of segregating them into at least 4-5 (or more) categories as is done in advanced countries.