20 Years of AADMER: ASEAN Vision for Global Leadership in Disaster Resilience

The frequency, scale, and complexity of disasters are escalating across Southeast Asia—driven by climate change, rapid urbanisation, and emerging transboundary risks. These growing threats strike at the very foundations of our development, stability, and shared prosperity.

Drawing lessons learned from previous experiences in responding to major disasters, the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) system has shifted its policy focus from a relief-centric approach to a more proactive, holistic, and integrated disaster system. Informed by the global trends in addressing the adverse impacts of climate change and threats of hazards, the entry of the new millennium paved the way for various internationally accepted principles that served as a backbone

When the ASEAN Leaders signed the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) in 2005, few could have foreseen how central it would become to our regional identity. Two decades on, the agreement remains relevant and is a key driving factor in the formulation of strategies and policies in ASEAN. It has given us a shared framework and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of solidarity amongst the ASEAN Member States in the face of adversity.

The ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) was signed in 2005 and entered into force in 2009. Conceived to systematically and collectively reduce the adverse impacts of disasters in the region, AADMER provides a framework for risk identification, prevention, preparedness, emergency response, and recovery. The establishment of the AHA Centre in 2011 was influenced significantly by ASEAN’s coordinated response to Cyclone Nargis in 2008, which caused more than 130,00

28 March 2025, Myanmar was shaken by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake. The tremor struck at 12:50 pm local time (2:20 pm Malaysian time), with its epicentre in Sagaing Region, northwest Myanmar. As people were still reeling from the impact, a powerful 6.4 aftershock followed soon after, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

In September 2024, two powerful storms, namely Tropical Cyclone Yagi and Tropical Storm Soulik, tore through northern Laos, leaving behind widespread destruction. Homes were destroyed, roads were washed out, and communities were left struggling to recover. It was one of the most devastating natural disasters the country has faced in recent years, highlighting Laos’s vulnerability to extreme weather events intensified by climate change.

The ASEAN Vision 2025 on Disaster Management seeks to position ASEAN as a global leader in disaster management. Towards this, ASEAN continues to build the professional capacities of its disaster management sector, showcase ASEAN’s expertise and achievements worldwide, and form strategic partnerships with global institutions for disaster management cooperation.

Located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, ASEAN is the most disaster-prone region in the world. In just mid-2025, ASEAN has faced close to 2,000 disasters, which have affected 45.6 million persons and displaced 2.1 million persons. Some 6,000 lives were lost, and damages amounted to 5.2 billion US dollars. Singapore, despite its size, contributes actively to advancing ASEAN’s disaster management capabilities and capacity. Through its strategic leadership, substantial contributions and strong operatio

The increasing frequency, scale, and complexity of disasters in Southeast Asia underscore the need for strengthened regional cooperation in humanitarian action. The ASEAN region—one of the most disaster-prone in the world—faces a convergence of risks that demand coordinated and forward-looking responses to natural hazards, which have significant socio-economic impacts. Climate change is worsening vulnerabilities across the region, while the conflict in Myanmar, population displacement, and publi

In September 2024, Typhoon Yagi tore through Southeast Asia, leaving devastation in its wake—claiming lives, displacing communities, and destroying livelihoods. At the same time, over 10,000 kilometres away, in the south of Europe, Portugal was battling raging wildfires that scorched vast areas and triggered evacuations.

Cambodia currently serves as the Chair of the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). ACDM Chair and Secretary General of the National Committee for Disaster Management of Cambodia Kim Virak discussess ASEAN’s progress under the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER), its growing role in shaping global disaster management, and how Cambodia’s 2025 Chairmanship is steering the region’s disaster management agenda forward.