IDRC in Asia

In mid-May, the CLARE-ASEAN initiative brought together around 70 participants from science, policy, and practice communities for a CLARE-ASEAN Regional Workshop and Dialogue, aimed at bridging knowledge-policy-action gaps. With cities across ASEAN already facing the realities of climate change — from rising heat and recurring floods to increasing urban vulnerability — the CLARE-ASEAN Regional Workshop and Dialogue brought together experts from the region to explore how evidence can better drive urban #CLimateAdaptationREsilience at scale. Key themes addressed during the workshop included: 🏢 Urban Heat Management 🌱 Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) 🌐 Climate Finance, and Planning & Governance 🔎 Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) Discover key highlights from the workshop and learn more about the CLARE-ASEAN initiative: https://lnkd.in/ga8PbVKh CLARE Programme is co-funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Research, Science and Technology and International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The ASEAN Secretariat Asian Institute of Technology Shobhakar Dhakal Arjan de Haan Vong Sok Gregorius Gilang S. Nugroho Rizky Januar Haryanto Winston Chow Malay Pramanik, Rishiraj Dutta, Marie-Lena Hutfils Associate Professor Dr. wijitbusaba marome (Ann) Mozaharul Alam Mukand Babel Paula Banerjee Sarath Babu M G Vilas Nitivattananon

🎉 Congratulations to the RURBANISE project, part of CLARE Programme, for having been named one of the winners of the #CBA20 poster competition! Their poster on "RURBANISE HOA adaptation planning" highlights locally led resilience planning for informal communities in the Philippines amid rapid urbanisation. See more below ⬇️

🌐 When mobility is supported, it reduces risk, secures livelihoods, and strengthens agency. When it is not, it increases precarity and inequality. 🔎 Evidence from CLARE research projects in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan shows that effective climate adaptation must recognise migration, staying, and relocation as interconnected strategies. 💡 This Thematic Brief from the CLARE Programme provides evidence and practical solutions to help governments and partners support people who stay, those who migrate, and, when necessary, those who must relocate. 📗 Learn more and explore the full thematic brief: https://lnkd.in/dcXim4AK CLARE Programme is co-funded by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office - Research, Science and Technology and International Development Research Centre (IDRC). #CLimateAdaptationREsilience ICIMOD, Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal Institute of Development Studies, Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), Royal Thimphu College (RTC), University of East Anglia, University of Exeter Indian Institute for Human Settlements Gram Vikas Centre for Migration and Inclusive Development (CMID) Neil Adger Rebecca Harwood Sarah Redicker Amina Maharjan Barsha Rani Gurung Dr. Reetika Revathy Subramanian Chandni Singh

People move. We always have. We run away from things, and toward things. In my own family, and my own life, movement has defined us. I spent a couple of days last week learning about the latest evidence on migration as an adaptation to climate change at a CLARE Programme event hosted by the SUCCESS project. I left pondering two deep challenges facing efforts to influence policy to support successful migration outcomes: 🌍 Human mobility is a cross-sectoral challenge because drivers are environmental, agricultural, economic, political, educational and more, while the impacts are on job markets, women, cities and more. So the question is: what national ministry (in what country) do you approach to support effective policy change to support successful migration? 🌍 Human mobility presents a trans-local phenomenon, as Chandni Singh said: households are spread over space. So the question is: what level of government should researchers approach to support effective policy - local, provincial/regional or national? International migrants are a whole other ball game. These questions are not trivial, if its change we want. I saw some flashes of possibility, with Ricardo Safra de Campos, Neil Adger, Mark Tebboth, Tasneem Siddiqui and many others all successfully engaging in national dialogues, in some cases even writing policy themselves. Figuring out how to influence policy for successful migration outcomes is a frontier area, with no easy answers, that we need to take very seriously. Heidi Braun

🌍 Centering the Global South in Global Research: Reflections from the South Day, 17th May, 2026 Last week, the UNESCO Chair in Community-based Research & Social Responsibility in higher education traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, for the 14th Global Research (GRC) Meeting. We participated in the first-ever GRC South Day, a historic milestone that placed the priorities, experiences, and leadership of the Global South at the heart of global research dialogue. For the first time in GRC history, the event shifted the focus to South–South collaboration, exploring how shared challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation and, health and energy, can be addressed through equitable partnerships and innovative solutions. Special conversations, intriguing presentations of successful examples of collaboration from across the world, and participatory discussions on research priorities, funding avenues, contemporary challenges and spaces for South–South and South–North collaboration paved the way for transformative action. This was more than a discussion- it was a call to act now produce meaningful solutions. As we move forward, we are committed to building on these conversations through our research, training, and advocacy work, ensuring that the voices of the Global South continue to shape the future of scientific cooperation. 🔍 Stay tuned for exciting GRC updates! Rajesh Tandon Budd Hall Arjan de Haan Nicole Arbour International Development Research Centre (IDRC) IDRC in Asia UNESCO India Matthew Wallace Anshuman Karol Dr. Kaustuv K Bandyopadhyay Megha Sud Research On Research Institute (RoRI) Nicholas Odongo, Ph.D. Fernando Perini Leslie Chan

The care economy could contribute up to 10% of global GDP. And we still treat it like charity. This week at India Impact House in Singapore, Kapil Kapoor of International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Nita Aggarwal of Co-Impact, and vineet rai from Aavishkaar Group, moderated by Tracy deSouza, CFA, made the business case for why that has to change. The logic is simple. No care infrastructure, no workforce. No workforce, no economy. And yet the burden of care still falls on women, the sector stays informal, and investors stay away. Asia is growing older. More women are stepping into the workforce. Behind both of those shifts sits the same quiet question: who cares for the people we love when no one is home to do it? The care economy is already shaping families and balance sheets. The only real question left is whether our institutions are ready to treat it that way. We are keen to hear your thoughts in the comments. #IndiaImpactHouse #CareEconomy #ImpactInvesting #AsiaPhilanthropy #PhilanthropyAsiaSummit2026 #MASHImpact

Tomorrow at the World Urban Forum 2026, the Global Alliance for Care with the support of the International Development Research Centre will convene the session “Using Evidence to Build Caring Cities: Scaling Care Blocks across Africa and Latin America.” As cities continue to grow, care must be recognized as essential urban infrastructure. From Bogotá’s Care Blocks to community-led initiatives across Africa and Latin America, this dialogue will explore how care-centered urban policies can advance gender equality, social inclusion, and more resilient cities. Bringing together local governments, grassroots organizations, and global urban networks, the session will highlight the importance of feminist urbanism, multilateral cooperation, and collective action to build cities that sustain life and well-being. Voices from Cities – Room B 21 May 2026 | 14:00–15:30 WUF13 Azerbaijan WUF13 Azerbaijan Operations Company World Urban Forum International Development Research Centre (IDRC) United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) JACQUELINE LEDUC ESTRADA

The UNESCO Chair in Community-Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education was pleased to participate in the “Boosting Social Sciences and their Contribution to Better Lives across the Indo-Pacific” event organised by the Association of Asian Social Science Research Councils on 6–7 May 2026. The gathering brought together scholars, practitioners and institutions from across the Indo-Pacific region to reflect on the role of the social sciences in addressing contemporary societal challenges and strengthening inclusive futures. As part of the programme, Dr. Rabi Raj, Senior Programme Officer at PRIA, presented the policy paper “Weaving Wisdom Across Borders: Indigenous Knowledge Systems for Sustainable and Inclusive Development in the Asia-Pacific.” The paper foregrounds the importance of Indigenous and local knowledge systems in shaping pathways towards sustainability, inclusion and resilience in the region. It highlights how such knowledge traditions, often historically marginalised within dominant research and policy frameworks, offer critical insights into ecological stewardship, community wellbeing, collective living and democratic participation. The presentation also underscored the need for more equitable knowledge ecosystems that recognise plurality, reciprocity and dialogue between diverse ways of knowing. In another session, Nikita Rakhyani, Lead at PRIA International Academy, shared an overview of over 44 years of PRIA’s work advancing participatory research and democratic knowledge creation. The presentation focused on the ethics and imperatives of participatory research, emphasising the importance of centring communities as co-creators of knowledge rather than merely subjects of research. It also highlighted PRIA’s ongoing efforts to strengthen capacities within higher education institutions, particularly through faculty training programmes on Community-Based Participatory Research. These initiatives aim to equip educators and researchers with approaches that can unlock the socially transformative potential of knowledge creation by building stronger relationships between universities and communities. At a time when societies across the Indo-Pacific are confronting intersecting crises of inequality, ecological degradation and democratic erosion, conversations such as these reaffirm the importance of socially responsible research ecosystems rooted in participation, dialogue and knowledge justice. To learn more: 🔗 PRIA – PRIA – Knowledge. Participation. Empowerment https://lnkd.in/dR446zc8 🔗 UNESCO Chair – UNESCO Chair CBRSRHE | Community-Based Research & Social Responsibility in Higher Education https://lnkd.in/dGF4P-4z Rajesh Tandon Arjan de Haan Budd Hall Anshuman Karol Martha Farrell Foundation UNESCO India International Development Research Centre (IDRC) IDRC in Asia