By Ms. Sumnima Ghimire and Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal

On 26 June 2026, CLARE-ASEAN, led by the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), successfully organized the Research Evidence and Policy Making: What Works to Advance Climate Adaptation and Resilience – Research–Policy Dialogue at the Grande Centre Point Surawong, Bangkok. Co-organized by the CLARE Capacity Strengthening (CS) Hub, African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), PlanAdapt, and SouthSouthNorth, the event brought together more than 90 participants from around the world, including researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and project partners, to discuss how research evidence can better inform climate adaptation policy and practice.

CLARE-ASEAN extends its sincere gratitude to Ms. Nabila Suria, Climate Counsellor at the Embassy of the United Kingdom to Thailand, and Ms. Hayley Price-Kelly, Senior Program Specialist at IDRC-Canada, for their opening remarks. A welcome address was then delivered by Prof. Shobhakar Dhakal, Project Lead of CLARE-ASEAN at AIT, who also provided an overview of the programme and its ongoing projects, setting the stage for engaging discussions on strengthening the research–policy interface for climate adaptation. The event was facilitated by Dr. Priya Singh, AIT, who served as the Master of Ceremonies throughout the day.

The dialogue commenced with Distinguished Remarks by H.E. Dr. Suwit Khunkitti, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, an accomplished scholar and politician. Drawing on his extensive experience in both research and policymaking, he reflected on the opportunities and challenges of evidence-informed policymaking and underscored the importance of strengthening the connection between scientific research and policy decisions.

The keynote address, “Research Evidence and Policy Making: What Works to Advance Climate Adaptation and Resilience,” was delivered by Dr. Monthip Sriratana Tabucanon, Director of the Climate Change Research Strategies Center, National Research Council of Thailand (NRTC), former Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), and former Member of Parliament. Her presentation highlighted the critical role of research evidence in shaping effective climate adaptation policies and building long-term resilience.

A dedicated policy dialogue session, moderated by Prof. Mukand Babel of AIT, featured representatives from the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change (AWGCC). The panel included Mr. Mohamad Asfia Adenan (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Malaysia), Mr. Ranjeet Singh (Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Singapore), Ms. Rowena F. Bolinas (Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Philippines), Mr. Teerapong Laopongpith (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Thailand), and Dr. San Win (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar). The session provided valuable insights into national climate adaptation priorities, policy processes, and shared challenges and opportunities across ASEAN Member States.

This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Mozaharul Alam, Regional Coordinator of the UNEP Asia and the Pacific Office. Panelists included Dr. Atsamon Limsakul, Director of the Climate Change Adaptation Research Section at the Department of Climate Change and Environment (DCCE/MONRE), Thailand; Prof. Tom Peter Migun Ogada, Executive Director of ACTS, Kenya; Dr. SVRK Prabhakar, Principal Policy Researcher at IGES, Japan; and Dr. Amina Maharjan, Senior Livelihood and Migration Specialist at ICIMOD, Nepal. The discussion explored the uptake of research evidence in policymaking, strategies for strengthening policy influence, challenges related to policy processes and institutional capacity, and lessons from the research–policy–practice interface.

The event was followed by an interactive Plenary Roundtable Discussion, moderated by Ms. Hayley Price-Kelly of IDRC. Prof. Genito Maure of the University of Eduardo Mondlane, Mozambique, and Dr. Rishiraj Dutta of ADPC, Thailand, enriched the discussion by sharing their perspectives on translating research evidence into policy and the challenges involved in navigating the research–policy interface. 

The dialogue concluded with participants sharing their key reflections, followed by closing remarks from Dr. Joel Onyango, CLARE CS Hub Lead and Director of Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning, and Impact at ACTS, Kenya. 

The detailed program agenda is available here: Agenda.pdf