The ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Adaptation to Drought (ARPA-AD) 2021-2025 is guided by the ASEAN Declaration on the Strengthening of Adaptation to Drought, which was adopted at the 37th ASEAN Summit on 12 November 2020, and informed by the assessment on the drought situation and its implications in each ASEAN Member State in the 1st and 2nd edition of the study on Ready for the Dry Years: Building Resilience to Drought in South-East Asia.

The ARPA-AD provides a comprehensive regional plan of action to achieve the sustainable management of drought through comprehensively preventing and mitigating its impact on the livelihood of people, natural resources, ecosystem, agriculture, energy, and socio-economic development. It consists of nine action and 26 sub-actions which are structured based on drought management cycle, coordination, communication, partnership and capacity building at the regional and national level.

Since droughts are expected to become more frequent, severe, and longer-lasting over wider geographical areas, globally including that in South-East Asia, it is crucial for ASEAN to be prepared for this increasingly complex risk landscape. Therefore, the publication of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Adaptation to Drought 2021-2025 is indispensable and timely for our region. The document was developed with the support of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).