A logistics specialist discusses economics, poverty and the nuts and bolts of climate change in Southeast Asia.

Why do Southeast Asian farmers get paid so little? How can people respond to the immediate impact of climate change? What must governments in ASEAN do if they’re serious about cross-border trade? Why is Cambodia building a 180-kilometer canal at a cost of $1.7 billion?

Chris Catto-Smith is a logistics specialist, a career which began with the Royal Australian Air Force in the 1970s. He moved to the private sector and then took his experience to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands encouraging disadvantaged communities to develop value chains and new routes to markets.

He spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt in Melbourne, where he explained the issues confronting farmers and fisherfolk who are struggling to make ends meet and discussed what needs to be done in regards to the devastating impacts of climate change.

Catto-Smith’s business principles are aligned with Corporate Social Responsibility, also known as CSR, which allows him to utilize consulting income to offset pro-bono development work. It’s a new model which allows him the freedom to select and support projects of his choice.

Within the region where he works, climate change and severe storm damage have emerged as immediate problems, particularly in Vietnam, where he spent the COVID-19 years. During the pandemic, he began rethinking how to deal with the major issues confronting Southeast Asia – and getting goods to market.

That includes the provision of cold storage, transport, clean water, sanitation, and health and education facilities, as well as the logistics needed in remote areas, where crops are grown but basic necessities are wanting and the infrastructure and post-harvest skills needed for the market are lacking.