A key step in transdisciplinary action research: Stakeholder Workshops organized in Indonesia and Viet Nam 

Stakeholder Workshops on the integration of climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction for sustainable development were held in Viet Nam on 28-29 June 2023, and in Indonesia on 3-4 July, 2023. The workshop in Viet Nam was organized in collaboration with the Viet Nam National University of Agriculture (VNUA), and the workshop in Indonesia was held in collaboration with the Indonesian Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). The workshops marked an important step in the implementation of equity-focused transdisciplinary action research at the core of EscSea.

Participants of the workshop were key stakeholders from national government ministries in each country, as well as representatives from universities, research institutions, local non-governmental/civil society organizations, and international organizations. The participants are experts of multiple disciplines such as: marine science, sociology, ecology, development studies, natural resource management, engineering, and marine conservation, and experts on local and indigenous knowledge, community development, climate change, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development. During the workshops, the participants discussed the objectives, key concepts, criteria for selecting field sites, methodologies, as well as the deliverables and outputs of the EscSea research in each country. 

The outputs of the workshop were: a shared updated understanding of the key terms and concepts relevant to the research in the official languages of each country; a prioritized list of potential research locations in each country; an updated list and mapping of potential stakeholders to be engaged in EscSea; and research methods tailored to the needs and circumstances of each country. 

Based on these outputs, the next steps in EscSea--site selection, forming transdisciplinary research teams, and training of communities--will be implemented in Indonesia and Viet Nam.