Blog Climate Signals in Motion: Digital advisory services in Vietnam activate potential for global reach at Philanthropy Asia Summit
In Singapore, the Alliance showcased nationally endorsed and scalable Agro-Climatic Bulletin in Vietnam to contribute to this year’s Philanthropy Asia Alliance agenda exploring how science, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration can drive bold solutions in climate, health, and inclusive development in the region.
The Philanthropy Asia Summit opened with one argument echoing throughout every keynote and panel, observed Alliance Managing Director for Asia, Stephan Weise. As traditional funding sources reduce or shift their focus to local priorities, addressing core issues of malnutrition, biodiversity loss, and climate change have now demanded more strategic opportunities to channel resources that would sustain development efforts.
"Climate, health, and inclusive development can no longer be funded in separate boxes, and risk-bearing philanthropic money is the most agile capital available for the integrating work,” Weise said, following his second-straight participation at the high-level gathering on 18-20 May in Singapore.
Stephan Weise
Managing Director, AsiaAs the sixth iteration of the summit turned the spotlight to practical Asian innovations with global potential, the Alliance showcased the nationally endorsed and scalable Agro-Climatic Bulletin in Vietnam—a digital climate advisory services that translates seasonal and 10-day weather forecasts into actionable and location-specific guidance for farmers.
The bulletins, disseminated through multiple channels including Zalo messaging app, loudspeakers, and local meetings, have already reached more than 320,000 farmer households.
Despite a good number of innovations related to digital technologies being present, the Agro-Climatic Bulletin stood out for its fusion of a digital climate advisory tool with a participatory process that engages local experts in validating the content. According to Asia Climate Action Lead Cornelis Swaans, its grounded and practical understanding of farmers’ realities resonated strongly with visitors to the Alliance booth.
“One investor asked what it would take to scale the innovation nationwide, while a board member of an NGO promoting organic farming in Vietnam expressed interest in practical tools and services that are easy for farmers to understand and use. One business owner, working closely with farming communities appeared to be involved in seaweed production, aligns with our climate advisory work in the Philippines,” he shared.
The Alliance in the Philippines is currently working with People in Need, a Czech-based nonprofit and humanitarian organization, to bring climate information services for coffee and seaweed production in the country’s Southernmost provinces including Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-tawi.
“One thing that stayed with me was how our booth created meaningful conversations around the ACB approach and its impact in Vietnam,” recalled Manh Lam, a research associate from Climate Action team. "Many visitors from across Asia shared that, while the approach seems simple, it is highly practical, accessible, and meaningful for farmers.”
Several participants had expressed strong interest in learning more about the innovation and continuing further discussions on how the Local Technical Agroclimatic Committees and the Agro-Climatic Bulletin model could be adapted and applied in their own projects and communities in countries such as Timor-Leste, Indonesia, the Philippines, and other neighboring Southeast Asian countries.
Elevating trust on innovative financing
The Alliance was among more than 30 impact innovators showcasing how science translates into on-the-ground impact before an audience of at least 2,500 business leaders, philanthropists, and representatives from development agencies. With valuable opportunities to network and learn from various global attendees, the Alliance met with several philanthropy leaders to identify potential alignment based on shared interests and priority focus.
In a meeting with Temasek Trust CEO Desmond Kuek, some identified opportunities for collaboration include existing work on climate advisory services for farmers, such as the ACBs; school food systems focused on nutrition and local production; and sustainable and blended finance initiatives.
Temasek Trust, acting as the capital holder and Temasek ecosystem orchestrator, is positioning Southeast Asia at the center of its priorities with key capabilities including catalytic capital for early-stage investing and blended finance through the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), among others.
As Desmond Kuek hopes to see continued alignment with CIIP initiatives, the Alliance has already shown its commitment following the launch of the report on adaptation and investment needs and opportunities in Asia. The report was co-produced by CIIP, Invesco, and the Alliance-led CGIAR's Hub for Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) team through Dharani Burra and Grosjean Godefroy.
“ImpactSF uses CGIAR-produced scientific data along with AI-based approaches to support investment processes in risk identification and mitigation and impact reporting for investees. This is extremely critical because if risks are ignored, they will eventually impact the financial bottom line of businesses in the agriculture and food sector,” said Godefroy in an interview with the Asia Insurance Review.
Godefroy Grosjean
CGIAR Sustainable Finance (ImpactSF) Co-Lead‘Treasure trove of data, solutions’
While significant capital exists for sustainable development, Kithmina Hegawe, Policy Engagement Director at the Center for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), believes that it is often fragmented and not well aligned with system-level change. The agriculture and environment sectors remain underfunded while certain Asian countries with increasing catalytic capital face regulatory challenges.
For the Alliance’s Partnerships Specialist for Southeast Asia Jolita Atienza, the real challenge remains bridging the gap in creating a clear pathway so that private sectors and philanthropic entities searching for proven, scalable solutions can easily discover and adopt our innovations.
“Short or tight proposal deadlines were one challenge that came up in our early checks and talks when we were looking for potential alignment. This is where the Alliance can help, as it can speedily translate its scientific knowledge into ready-to-use form. Because our innovations are evidence-based, they align with government priorities and donor expectations, and we provide the framework and proposals ready for investment,” Atienza said.
“I believe it can help potential partners without scientific expertise submit stronger, more competitive proposals, even with limited time for consultation and planning.”
