The Asia Pacific Academic Network on Disaster Displacement (APANDD) is a collaborative network of scholars from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, focusing on disaster displacement and climate-related mobility. It was established subsequent to a regional study conducted by RWI in partnership with scholars from ten Asia Pacific countries in 2020. Despite the Asia Pacific region being recognised as a hub for research on climate change and disaster displacement, as indicated in RWI’s publication “A Bibliometric Analysis of Research at the Nexus of Climate Change, Human Mobility, and Human Rights,” there remains a notable absence of Asia Pacific perspectives on the global stage. APANDD aims to address this gap by providing a platform for Asia Pacific scholars to amplify their voices internationally.
Since its establishment, APANDD and its members have actively engaged in global and national policy processes, including:
- Providing inputs to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons regarding displacement in the context of the slow-onset adverse impacts of climate change. This input was referenced in the UN Special Rapporteur's thematic report (A/75/207) presented at the General Assembly’s 75th session in 2020.
- Contributing written submissions to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement concerning internal displacement in the context of disasters and climate change in the Asia Pacific region. These submissions helped shape the UN High-Level Panel’s report titled “Shining a Light on Internal Displacement: A Vision for the Future.”
- Providing inputs to the UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change regarding the human rights implications of climate change displacement, including the legal protection of people displaced across international borders. This input informed the development of the UN Special Rapporteur’s report on legal options to protect the human rights of individuals displaced across international borders due to climate change (A/HRC/53/34).
- Providing inputs to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing on resettlement as a human rights issue. This submission was referenced in the UN Special Rapporteur’s thematic report titled “Resettlement After Evictions and Displacement: Addressing a Human Rights Crisis” (A/HRC/55/53).
- Contributing to the integration of human rights and gender-based approaches in Bangladesh’s National Strategy on Internal Displacement Management through a national-level advocacy workshop in 2019 and contributions to the international advisory group on implementation.
- Contributing to the adoption of the Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE) to guide the development of Indonesia’s Guidelines for Mainstreaming Human Rights in the Regulation and Legislation Formulation Process.
Members
AUSTRALIA
- Institution: James Cook University
- Areas of expertise: Climate mobility, Pacific politics, Human rights, Climate change
- Email address: liammoore@jcu.edu.au
BANGLADESH
- Institution: Independent University Bangladesh
- Areas of expertise: International law, Human rights, Environmental law, Climate change law & policy
- Email address: awalkhanlaw@iub.edu.bd
- Institution: Jagannath University
- Areas of expertise: Climate change adaptation, Human mobility, Livelihoods, Resilience, Refugees, Climate justice, Political economy of environmental change, Spatial analysis
- Email address: amalak@geography.jnu.ac.bd
- Institution: Jagannath University
- Areas of expertise: Disaster risk reduction, Climate change vulnerability, Climate change adaptation (Locally Led Adaptation/LLA & Nature-based Solution/NBS), Urbanization & migration, Geospatial science, Coastal communities
- Email address: riffat.mahnmood@geography.jnu.ac.bd
- Institution: Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU)
- Areas of expertise: Climate change, Displacement, Planned relocation
- Email address: tamim.rmmru@gmail.com
BHUTAN
- Institution: Royal University of Bhutan
- Areas of expertise: Climate change adaptation, Ecosystem services assessment, Watershed management, Hydrology, Soil erosion modelling, Human mobility
- Email address: ombhutan2016@gmail.com
CAMBODIA
- Institution: Open Development Cambodia
- Areas of expertise: Transnational migration, Trafficking in person, People with Disabilities (PWDs), Social mobility & equality
- Email address: vsh.vengseanghai@gmail.com
INDIA
- Institution: South Asian University
- Areas of expertise: International environmental law, Conflicts of law, Climate refugees, Climate mobility
- Email address: stellinajolly@sau.ac.in
- Institution: South Asian University
- Areas of expertise: International refugee law, International climate change law, Climate refugees, Climate mobility, Climate colonialism, Climate constitutionalism
- Email address: drnafeesahmad@sau.ac.in
INDONESIA
- Institution: University of Lampung
- Areas of expertise: Environmental law, Climate change, Human rights, Political economy, Marginalized communities
- Email address: jamesreinaldor@gmail.com
LAO PDR
- Institution: National University of Laos
- Areas of expertise: Water, Climate justice, Environmental law
- Email address: chantavongsy@yahoo.com
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
- Institution: University of Papua New Guinea
- Areas of expertise: Climate change, Human mobility, Gender, Gender-based Violence, Social work
- Email address: dkuirayi@upng.ac.pg
- Institution: University of Papua New Guinea
- Areas of expertise: Climate change, Disaster risk management, Displacement & resettlement, Migration, Urban informal settlements, Land & livelihoods
- Email address: gnumbasa@upng.ac.pg
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Lovelyn Kins Matawakeni Otoiasi
- Institution: Solomon Islands National University
- Areas of expertise: Climate justice, Climate mobility, Displacement, Planned relocation
- Email address: lavileen@gmail.com
- Institution: Solomon Islands National University
- Areas of expertise: Climate change, Coastal biodiversity, Mangroves ecology, Traditional & local knowledge on mangroves
- Email address: marytahupaia@gmail.com
SRI LANKA
Dinushika M. Yapa Abeywardhana
- Institution: University of Peradeniya
- Areas of expertise: Climate change, Human mobility, Disaster management, Environmental sociology & development
- Email address: dinushikay@arts.pdn.ac.lk
- Institution: University of Peradeniya
- Areas of expertise: Social work, Disability & disaster, Community work, Indigenous social work
- Email address: udeshi_gunarathna@yahoo.com
THAILAND
- Institution: Mae Fah Luang University
- Areas of expertise: Global agenda in risk & resilience, Education for sustainable development & sustainability, Well-being & development science
- Email address: reni.juw@mfu.ac.th
VIET NAM
- Institution: Can Tho University
- Areas of expertise: Gender, Climate change
- Email address: lqdang@ctu.edu.vn
- Institution: Dai Nam University
- Areas of expertise: Gender, Women’s rights
- Email address: nguyenngoclanlawfirm@gmail.com