On two days 3-4 March, 2009, DRAGON institute – Mekong – CTU associated with Southeast Asia START Regional Center (SEA START RC), the Water and Development Research Group, Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Finland, WWF-Greater Mekong for a workshop on “Rapid assessment of impact, vulnerability and adaptation to changing climate and flood regimes in the Mekong River Delta” in the Conference room of the CTU Learning Resource Centre.

 Attending the workshop, there were 30 rice and shrimp farmers, small enterprises from An Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Bac Lieu and Tra Vinh provinces sitting together many University lecturers, researchers, and NGO consultants. 

The main objectives of the workshop are to review risks, vulnerabilities, and adaptations to changing temperature, precipitation, and flood regimes in the Mekong River Delta due to climate change. The workshop will provide a forum for local stakeholders to offer their perspectives on the risks of key sectors in the Delta face from climate change and the potential responses to cope with these risks. Improved understanding in this regard will help lead to adaptation strategies based on the specific local context. The anticipated workshop outputs and outcomes will provide feedback to the Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and contribute to the National Target Program on Climate Change.

Detailed objectives:

  • Understand risks, vulnerabilities, and adaptations to climate change impacts from local stakeholders’ perspectives.
  • Communicate climate risks to local stakeholders and provide a forum for local stakeholders to communicate their perspectives on climate change risks, impacts, and potential adaptations.
  • Introduce and initiate scenario-based thinking as a key part of the strategic planning process.
  • To gather information (especially on risk, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change) that would accommodate Vietnam’s National Target Program on Climate Change.

 

Workshop focussed on the agricultural (possibly including aquaculture, but with emphasis on rice production) and water sectors with some discussion of the interactions of these sectors with other key sectors and institutions. The focus of the assessment is on the concerns on future climate change, with focus on socio-economic impacts of changing hydrological regimes in the Mekong River Delta due to climate change and potential adaptation to future change.