ISET's work transcends disciplinary boundaries. We use a systems perspective in all of our work because social processes, climate change and environmental degradation do not exist independently of each other. Addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change is the main undercurrent of all of ISET's work currently. Current projects can be loosely grouped under the following interconnected themes:

• Urban systems
• Desakota Systems
• Disaster Risk Reduction

The Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change in a Complex World
The American Red Cross has agreed to fund ISET for the development of a five-year collaborative program to consolidate methodologies and generate evidence on the costs and benefits of adaptation-focused disaster risk reduction as a major strategy for addressing the impacts of climate change on vulnerable populations. The ultimate objective of the program will be to assist vulnerable communities in adapting to climate change through the identification and implementation of interventions that reduce risks and support adaptation to climate related disasters. Select field locations are likely to be in India and Vietnam.

The program will: (1) demonstrate the economic viability of investing in adaptation-focused disaster risk reduction in specific urban and rural case situations; (2) increase awareness among key decision-making entities that investments in adaptation-focused disaster risk resilience are solid public investments; and (3) strengthen the methodological basis for evaluating the costs and benefits of adaptation-focused disaster risk reduction.

More details will be available on our website once the preliminary work gets underway.

Asia-Pacific Regional Climate Change Adaptation Assessment
USAID is funding the development of an Asia-Pacific Regional Climate Change Adaptation Assessment (APRCCAA), led by the International Resources Group (IRG). With our expertise in urban/coastal vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in South and Southeast Asia, ISET has been requested to participate in the preliminary in-country consultations in India, Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. Results from this preliminary assessment phase will define a longer-term program in the region. IRG’s other partners in this assessment are the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the University of Hawaii Sea Grant College Program (UHSGCP).

This first phase assessment will build a broader network of key stakeholders and organizations in Asia and the Pacific in order to identify adaptation priorities in the region. Drawing on the results, the assessment report will address the key climate change vulnerability and adaptation sectors and will identify national and regionally cross-cutting priorities.

More information will be provided as the work proceeds.