Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at AIT

What Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at AIT does

RRC.AP (Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific) is a specialized non-profit research and capacity development center operating within the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Pathumthani, Thailand, founded in 1989. The center serves government ministries, environment agencies, and intergovernmental networks across more than 20 Asia-Pacific countries, focusing on three thematic clusters: Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Waste and Resource Management. It functions as the secretariat for the Malé Declaration on transboundary air pollution (since 1998), the Atmospheric Brown Cloud Programme (since 2002), and serves as an implementing partner for the EANET acid deposition monitoring network covering 13 East Asian countries.

Its core product portfolio consists of web-based platforms organized by thematic cluster (APC, CCC, WaRM portals), specialized digital tools including the Know Waste Knowledge (KWK) platform for marine debris in ASEAN, the FloodS flood forecasting tool developed by Hitachi, the S8SI-CAT Downscaler (S8DS) for climate downscaling without specialized technical training, and the AdaptWell suite for climate impact analysis on waterborne diseases. The RRC.AP e-Learning Hub delivers interactive climate change education and supports National Adaptation Plan implementation. These tools are deployed primarily for capacity building, policy support, and technical assistance rather than commercial sale.

The center is entirely grant-funded, with primary support from the Ministry of Environment Japan (MOEJ), the Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), the Green Climate Fund, and partnerships with UN agencies (UNEP, UNDRR, UNDP, UN-Habitat) and ASEAN bodies such as ERIA and SACEP. All services, workshops, training programs, and knowledge products are provided free of charge to governments and stakeholders. The organization is led by Director Dr. Guilberto Borongan with three thematic cluster heads (Dr. Vanisa Surapipith for Air Pollution, Mr. Phurba Lhendup for Climate Change), supported by a small team of nine employees operating through regional workshop delivery, digital platform maintenance, and intergovernmental network coordination.

Name

Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific at AIT

Legal name

Regional Resource Centre for Asia and the Pacific

Website

https://rrcap.ait.ac.th

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RRC.AP is a non-profit research and capacity development center within the Asian Institute of Technology that provides environmental policy support, training, and digital tools to governments across Asia and the Pacific, focused on air pollution, climate change adaptation, and waste management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Capacity Building & Climate Advisory Services

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate, Environment & Natural Resource Management Aid Programs (BPADABAI), Climate Resilience & Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (BPAGABAK), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA), Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM)

Keywords

• Environmental capacity building
• Climate adaptation services
• Air quality management
• Waste management consulting
• Environmental knowledge platforms

Headquarters

HQ city

Pathumthani

HQ country

Thailand

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government and Donor Funding: RRC.AP operates as a grant-funded research and capacity building center. Activities are supported by funding from the Ministry of Environment Japan (MOEJ), Japan ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF), Green Climate Fund, and other international donors. Services are provided free of charge to member countries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RRC.AP operates as a regional implementing partner and secretariat for major intergovernmental environmental networks (Malé Declaration, EANET, ABC Programme), providing free capacity building, technical assistance, and policy support to governments and institutions across Asia and the Pacific. It delivers in-person and virtual training workshops, develops web-based knowledge platforms and climate simulation tools (KWK, FloodS, S8DS, e-Hub), and disseminates publications and technical guidelines on air pollution, climate change adaptation, and waste management. All services are grant-funded by donors such as the Ministry of Environment Japan, JAIF, and the Green Climate Fund.

Product overview

RRC.AP is a knowledge center at the Asian Institute of Technology providing a suite of web-based platforms organized into three thematic clusters: Air Pollution (APC), Climate Change (CCC), and Waste and Resource Management (WaRM). Its product portfolio includes domain-specific web portals (APC, CCC, WaRM), specialized knowledge platforms (Know Waste Knowledge for ASEAN marine debris), climate simulation tools (FloodS for flood forecasting, S8DS for climate downscaling), and the RRC.AP e-Learning Hub. The organization also provides Adaptation Planning Tools such as AdaptWell for waterborne disease analysis. These tools are used for regional capacity building, policy support, and climate adaptation across Asia and the Pacific.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RRC.AP e-Hub: A dedicated platform for dynamic and interactive learning experiences supporting climate change action and National Adaptation Plans implementation in the Asia-Pacific region.
• Know Waste Knowledge (KWK) Platform
• FloodS Tool
• S8SI-CAT Downscaler (S8DS)

Products and services

• Air Pollution Cluster (APC) Web Portal Web portal hosting the Malé Declaration Secretariat, the Atmospheric Brown Cloud (ABC) Programme, and serving as implementing partner to the Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET). Provides air quality management resources, webinars, and regional cooperation tools for South Asia and East Asia.
• Climate Change Cluster (CCC) Web Portal Web portal focused on climate change adaptation and mitigation, carrying out assessments funded by the Ministry of Environment Japan, synthesizing context-specific research into policy-oriented knowledge products, and organizing APAN Forum sessions for Asia-Pacific countries.
• Waste and Resource Management Cluster (WaRM) Web Portal Web portal connecting scientific understanding of waste issues with sound policies at regional, national, and local levels through research, assessment, policy support, capacity development, and partnership functions, supporting sustainable waste management aligned with the SDGs and Paris Climate Accord.
• Know Waste Knowledge (KWK) Platform Knowledge-sharing platform for information and data on sustainable waste management and marine debris in ASEAN. Generates and consolidates data, transforms it into comprehensible outputs for stakeholders, and provides capacity-building e-Learning content.
• FloodS Flood Forecasting Tool Free, user-friendly web-based flood simulation tool that allows users to simulate flood scenarios, understand flood risks, and develop appropriate climate adaptation strategies for vulnerable communities in the Asia-Pacific region.
• S8SI-CAT Downscaler (S8DS) Dynamical climate change data downscaling service enabling practitioners to assess global climate scenarios at the local scale without specialized technical training. Supports National Adaptation Planning by bridging the gap between high-resolution climate data needs and limited local capacity.
• RRC.AP e-Learning Hub (e-Hub) Dedicated e-learning platform providing interactive climate change education and learning resources to support Asia and Pacific countries in achieving climate change action and implementing National Adaptation Plans. Supported by the Ministry of Environment Japan.
• Adaptation Planning Tools (AdaptWell) Suite of science-based webtools including AdaptWell for analyzing climate impact on waterborne diseases, supporting climate adaptation and resilience planning at local and national levels.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and secondary.

• Ministry of Environment, Japan (MOEJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner supporting RRC.AP's capacity building programs, climate adaptation initiatives, and e-learning platform development. MOEJ Vice Minister Kentaro Doi visited AIT RRC.AP for courtesy visit, indicating strong diplomatic support.
• South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizes Malé Declaration webinar series and intergovernmental meetings with SACEP. Partnership focuses on air pollution control and transboundary environmental issues in South Asia.
• Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia (EANET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRRC.AP serves as implementing partner for EANET secretariat functions. Supports organizing Intergovernmental Meetings, Scientific Advisory Committee meetings, and project activities for the 13 participating countries.
• HitachimajorTechnology or IntegrationJapanese private company that developed the FloodS flood forecasting tool under support from Ministry of Environment, Japan. RRC.AP facilitates deployment and training for the tool in the Asia-Pacific region.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on mercury management projects, Minamata Convention implementation, and air quality initiatives. UNEP ROAP partners on capacity development programs.
• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on Making Cities Resilient 2030 (MCR2030) initiatives and city resilience training programs. Jointly organizes webinars and training workshops on disaster risk reduction.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on climate adaptation projects, National Adaptation Plan support, and resilience building initiatives across Asia-Pacific.
• Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) - Regional Knowledge Centre for Marine Plastic DebrismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for CaRMPAC Project (Capacity Building Programme for Reducing Recycling-Related Marine Plastic Pollution in ASEAN Cities). Develops technical guidelines for plastic leakage prevention.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on GIZ ASEAN Municipal Solid Waste Management Enhancement (AMUSE) project and 3RproMar (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to Protect Marine Environment) initiatives.
• Incheon National UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned MoU in 2025 to strengthen collaboration in environmental engineering, climate change studies, and pollution control and prevention.
• Biliran Province State University (BiPSU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned MoU in November 2024 to promote environmental sustainability through research, capacity building, and initiatives in waste management, climate adaptation, and disaster risk reduction.
• Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Youth Energy Academy program and climate change capacity building initiatives. Funded pico-grant awards for youth-led climate projects.
• Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRRC.AP is a supporting partner, organizing sessions at the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Forum and contributing to adaptation knowledge sharing.
• Green Climate Fund (GCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducts GCF concept note development training workshops and readiness programs. Supports countries in accessing climate finance through training and mentoring.
• National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), JapanmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on climate adaptation tools, AP-PLAT platform, and locally-led adaptation initiatives. Jointly organizes webinars and training on adaptation planning.
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on GCF training programs, Asian Co-benefits Partnership, and climate adaptation initiatives. Collaborates on developing concept notes and climate finance access.
• ICIMODmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on air quality and climate initiatives in the Himalayan region. Co-organized exhibition at COP28 showcasing adaptation work.
• UN-Habitat, IFRC, UCLG, ICLEI, EPIC-NETmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium partners for city resilience training programs under MCR2030 and other urban climate adaptation initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Asia: International policy research institute with an Asia centre in Bangkok; conducts environmental research, adaptation policy support and capacity building for the same donor and government segments as RRC.AP, but as part of a global network.
• TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): Large Indian research institute covering climate, air quality, waste and sustainable development; comparable thematic scope and capacity-building mandate but at materially larger scale and with broader funding base.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German development agency that partners with RRC.AP on AMUSE and 3RproMar waste management projects; delivers comparable capacity-building, advisory and project management services across Asia-Pacific at much larger scale.
• UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (UNEP ROAP): United Nations body coordinating environmental policy across the same Asia-Pacific footprint; RRC.AP is an explicit partner and delivery vehicle, and UNEP ROAP operates the broader regional mandate RRC.AP services.

Direct peers

• ERIA (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia): ASEAN-based regional think tank that funds and partners with RRC.AP on marine plastic debris; comparable model as a regional knowledge hub hosting networks and producing policy-oriented research for member governments.
• National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan: Japan's primary environmental research institute that co-developed AP-PLAT with RRC.AP and supports the S8DS downscaler; comparable mix of research, tools, and Asia-Pacific capacity building funded by MOEJ.
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES): Japan-based research and policy think tank delivering capacity building, climate adaptation, and GCF readiness training across Asia-Pacific; explicitly listed as RRC.AP partner and operates an overlapping agenda and donor ecosystem.
• ICIMOD (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development): Regional intergovernmental research and knowledge centre serving eight Hindu Kush-Himalayan countries; same capacity-building, secretariat, and applied environmental research model as RRC.AP, with overlapping donor base and UN partnerships.
• Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN): Regional adaptation knowledge platform where RRC.AP is a supporting partner; provides forums, training and knowledge products for climate adaptation practitioners across Asia-Pacific with similar donor base.
• SACEP (South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme): Intergovernmental organization of South Asian countries for environmental cooperation; co-organizes Malé Declaration activities with RRC.AP and occupies the same regional secretariat/convening niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rrcap
• Facebookfacebook.com/RRCAP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ait-rrcap

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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