ADAPTATION PILOT PROJECT UNDER

CLIMATE CHANGE TO REDUCE EXISTING AND FUTURE FLOOD VULNERABILITY

THROUGH ADAPTATION MEASURES

IN TAM NONG DISTRICT, DONG THAP PROVINCE

Bao THANH, Anh Ngoc LE,Thai Son NGUYEN,

Thi Huong VU,Chi Nam BUI

Sub-Institute of HydroMeteorology and Climate Change

Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Viet Nam

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ABSTRACT

Tam Nong District is located in Dong Thap Province about 120 km west of Ho Chi Minh City, also known as the lowest land in Dong Thap province be affected by flood for thousands of years. Under the impact of Climate Change, the Flood Regimes in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta and specifically in Tam Nong District have been changed which have significantly influenced human livelihood and socio-ecological systems. This study made the assessment of flood impact to the socio-economic factors and the conclusions about the flood vulnerability to propose the pilot adaptation measures in 2 villages Long Phu A and Long An A, Phu Thanh A Commune, Tam Nong District, Dong Thap Province.

Keywords: flood vulnerability assessment, flood impacts, adaptation measures

1. INTRODUCTION

The Adaptation Pilot Project (APP) in Tam Nong District, Dong Thap Province is prepared and implemented based on support from GIZ on behalf of the Federal Environment Ministry (BMUB) for the MRC’s Flood Management and Mitigation Programme (FMMP) in its work to tackle two of the main challenges facing the Lower Mekong Basin; climate change and flooding. This project comes under the framework of the BMU-IKI initiative “Adaptation to Climate Change through Climate Sensitive Flood Management in the Lower Mekong Basin” (2011-2014) and in accordance with FMMP Output 2.4 “Impact of climate change on short- and long-term flood and drought behavior and climate change adaptation are systemized in RFMMC and Member Countries”.

The overall goal of the project is to decrease flood risk in particularly vulnerable pilot hotspots through the cooperation of decentralized authorities of the national ministries, NMCs, provincial/local stakeholders and the MRCS in implementing selected climate-sensitive flood risk reduction measures. “The population in the pilot areas expects that the initiated pilot measures reduce their vulnerability to extreme flood events”.

2. METHODOLOGY

2.1 Vulnerability Assessment

The Vulnerability Assessment was implemented with two main objects: Economic/Environmental Vulnerability and Social Vulnerability. The FMMP methodology applied for this study (Figure 1).

Figure 1: The FMMP methodology

Process outline for vulnerability assessment is:

-        Undertake surveys/data collection. Village consultation.

-        Collect District information for Damage Curves review by FMMP

-        Calculate changes in Damage due to Climate Change

-        Undertake Social and gender Vulnerability Assessment

-        Village discussions on adaptation measures

-        Develop adaptation measures

-        Prioritize adaptation measures

-        Meeting with village people to confirm adaptation measures

v  Economic/Environmental Vulnerability

- Use Damage Analysis underpinned by FMMP - C2

- For Economic/Environmental Vulnerability assessments focus on the following sectors: Infrastructure, housing and agriculture for Tam Nong District level.

v  Social Vulnerability

-          Use Surveys/Community Consultation

-          Risk Matrices/Expert Assessment

-          Based on GIZ guidelines

The Social Vulnerability depends on three factors: Exposure (E), Sensitivity (S) and Adaptive Capacity (A), calculated by formula:

V = (E x S)/A (1)

The multiply E x S called Impact Chains (I). Investigation sheets consisting of questions were developed to address the following issues: awareness of people on flood, flood warning work of localities, prevention measures, resilience capacity of households after flood, supports of relevant agencies to households, crops that are frequently damaged including the extent of damage (%) … The issues are addressed through equation (1), through classifying the level of damages as follows: very low, low, medium, high and very high. There are issues which will be integrated into flood:

Figure 2: Vulnerability Matrix Approach first by assessing the degree of Impact

Figure 3: Vulnerability assessment matrix by combining Impact

 and Adaptive Capacity (inversely):

2.2 Data collection and analysis

Collecting necessary available information and additional information for the vulnerability assessment of flood such as related maps (flood maps, land use planning maps …); meteorology, hydrology, topology, natural disasters; socio-economic development and gender policies; and other relevant documents from different levels (national, Mekong Delta region, provincial and district).

2.3 Survey questionnaires and fieldtrip

Admin Surveys:

-           District/Village level direct/indirect damage for the typical flood

-           Refer to Indirect Damages Spreadsheet – this has sectors and contacts

Household surveys should be focused on Vulnerability Assessment

-           Direct Damage experienced

-           Resultant Indirect Damage

The Questionnaire was designed on flood, climate change and gender issues for households and officials in the project hotspot location.

Fieldtrip took with interviewers, local guides and necessary preparation to the project hotspot location to interview people bases on questionnaires. Implementing survey tools and analyzing results of fieldtrip.

2.4 Local stakeholder engagement

Three consultation meetings with objectives:

-        To identify expectation and need of local stakeholder on flood adaptation measure under climate change condition.

-        To recognize their contribution their engagement for selection of adaptation measures as well as development of the implementation plan with participation from different stakeholders to get their opinions.

-        To consult on proposed adaptation measures

3. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT RESULTS

3.1 Economic Vulnerability

As part of the FMMP-C2 studies recorded flood damage data from 1910 to 2014 was tabulated for three sectors; infrastructure, housing and agriculture. Using this information and the maximum water level series for this period a relationship between total sector damage and the maximum water level could be developed for each sector.

Table 1: Calculated annually average damage value in Tam Nong