Promoting ASEAN cooperation on disaster response and climate change

On the morning of October 15 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the Vietnamese delegation, led by Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep, together with Pham Duc Luan, Director General of the Viet Nam Disaster and Dyke Management Authority, and other representatives, attended the 13th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Management (AMMDM), the 14th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the AADMER Agreement, and related events.

The meeting brought together ministers responsible for disaster management from ASEAN member states, representatives from Timor-Leste, who attended as observers, and dialogue partners of ASEAN, including China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. The ASEAN Secretary-General and the Executive Director of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) were also in attendance.

As the most significant annual event on disaster management cooperation within ASEAN, AMMDM serves as a key platform for regional dialogue and policy coordination at the ministerial level. The 13th meeting forms part of the 2025 external affairs agenda of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment of Viet Nam. Discussions at the meeting focused on reviewing the implementation progress of ongoing regional initiatives and cooperation programs under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). Delegates also exchanged views on strategic directions to enhance disaster preparedness and response capacity in the face of intensifying climate change impacts.

Beyond its technical agenda, the event offered an important opportunity for ASEAN member states to strengthen regional solidarity, share best practices and lessons learned, and reaffirm ASEAN’s central role and leadership in advancing disaster risk management cooperation both within the region and globally.

Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized that natural disasters across the ASEAN region are becoming increasingly severe, complex, and unpredictable due to climate change. He noted that from late July to early October this year, Viet Nam was struck by a series of tropical storms, Wipha, Bualoi, and Matmo, accompanied by prolonged heavy rainfall and flooding. These disasters caused serious loss of life, extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, and major disruptions to local livelihoods.

On this occasion, the Deputy Minister expressed his sincere appreciation to the governments and people of ASEAN member states, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the AHA Centre for their timely assistance, solidarity, and close cooperation in supporting Viet Nam’s disaster response and recovery efforts. He informed delegates that on 15 and 16 October, two shipments of emergency relief supplies from the regional stockpile under the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) in Malaysia would be delivered to Ha Noi and subsequently transported to Cao Bang, one of the provinces most severely affected by recent storms and floods.

“This valuable support is a vivid demonstration of the spirit of ‘One ASEAN, One Response’ that our regional leaders have always upheld,” he emphasized.

Viet Nam extended its deepest condolences to the governments and people of Myanmar and Thailand for the tragic losses caused by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in March 2025, and expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Philippines following a series of strong earthquakes that struck the country in October.

“With our experience and capacity in disaster prevention and response, and with the strength of both our people and our resources, Viet Nam will continue to stand side by side with fellow ASEAN countries, ready to share knowledge, expertise, and assistance whenever needed,” the head of the Vietnamese delegation affirmed.

Held under the theme “20 Years of Implementing the AADMER: ASEAN’s Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Management,” this year’s ministerial meeting marked nearly two decades of regional cooperation under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER). It underscored ASEAN’s shared vision of playing a leading global role in advancing disaster resilience and humanitarian coordination.

“With unity, mutual respect, equality, and a spirit of shared benefit, ASEAN member states can strengthen their collective capacity to cope with climate change and natural disasters, moving together toward a sustainable and prosperous future for the entire region,” Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep emphasized.