Response - control and extinguish wildfire

Implementing the actions described above in review, risk reduction, and readiness allows communities to respond to wildfires. On receipt of a wildfire alert, the Community Wildfire Management Team will either send a team member or ask a nearby community member to visit the site and assess the situation. On confirmation of an active fire, the Community Wildfire Management Team will determine if it requires suppression, and if so, attend and suppress the fire with the appropriate equipment. If the fire is not threatening shrubland or flooded forest, then they will monitor the situation.

Effective fire suppression requires on-ground planning and clear roles and responsibilities among the Wildfire Management Team. It is important that a clear and safe plan is developed and agreed to amongst the team as to how to approach and suppress wildfire and each team member’s role in doing so.

Recording the details of each fire alert, confirmed wildfire, and action taken to address each wildfire is important so that we can learn from our experiences and adaptively manage wildfires in the future. This information is needed for both the review and recovery components of the 5Rs.

Effective fire suppression requires:

  • Early warning of a wildfire
  • A trained and confident fire management team who can safely suppress wildfire with well-maintained locally sourced equipment.

Important lessons in responding to wildfire include:

  • Inexpensive locally sourced equipment that can be adapted to wildfire suppression is preferrable to expensive imported specialist equipment. Our community partners experience with locally sourced equipment demonstrated their familiarity with it, its effectiveness in suppression wildfire, and ease of replacement. 
  • A variety of tools can be used to suppress wildfire. Community Wildfire Management Team members reported that they most often used hand tools such as rakes, hoes, and bush knives to remove flammable material and create a bare earth barrier. They also used backpack water sprayers to suppress wildfire.
  • Whilst Community Wildfire Management Teams often used water to suppress wildfire, the larger and heavier water pump and hoses could often not be used due to difficulty in accessing sites and lack of access to water (e.g. lake, streams, or ponds).
  • A clear description of the fire ground helped the Community Wildfire Management Teams decide on which equipment to deploy. For example, site access and a nearby supply of water is needed before a water pump and hoses are deployed.
Readiness - prepare for wildfire

Despite the best risk reduction efforts - fires will still occur, and partner communities need to be prepared to suppress them. To be ready to suppress fire CBFiM groups require:

  • well maintained locally sourced fire suppression equipment including protective clothing;
  • fire management training; and
  • real-time satellite-based fire alerts. 

Each community wildfire management team should frequently patrol high-fire risk areas during the fire season. This allows them to identify and address high-risk behavior before a fire starts, monitor fuel loads, and assess access routes and water availability in the event of a fire.

Being ready to suppress wildfire requires:

  • A functioning community wildfire management team.
  • A system that detects wildfire and can alert the community wildfire management team.
  • External resources are needed to manage wildfire alerts, as due to technical constraints and community capacity they cannot be provided directly to community groups for action.

Lessons for being ready to suppress wildfire include:

  • Providing communities with protective clothing that are made of natural materials such as cotton, as polyester is flammable and highly dangerous when exposed to open fires. The provision of this safety equipment is important as most community members’ day to day clothes are not safe when worn to suppress wildfires.
  • Our partner communities reported that OroraTech’s wildfire alerts forwarded by project staff frequently warned them of fires before they were observed on the ground. This service is extremely valuable to them as they can respond quickly, investigate, and stop wildfires before they become large and uncontrollable. 
Risk Reduction - prevent wildfire

With risk reduction we work with communities to prevent wildfires — focusing resources on their underlying causes. Prevention is ab effective control measure as almost all fires on the Tonle Sap are caused by human activities. Our partner communities identified four wildfire risk reduction strategies:

  • Conduct multiple wildfire education and awareness sessions with local community members and seasonal migrants.
  • Install fire information and warning signboards at high fire risk and high conservation value areas.
  • Conduct joint fire suppression patrols with local authorities and FiA officials.
  • Identify seasonal migrants who visit the community managed area for fishing and buffalo grazing. And inform them that they will be questioned if any fires occur around their temporary camping area.
  • Punish people who destroy the flooded forest by applying the Fishery law, which can result in 3-5 years imprisonment.

Effective risk reduction requires the following factors:

  • Community fire management teams need the support of local authorities in reducing fire risk. This is necessary when approaching and working with seasonal migrants who are not known to the local villagers.
  • Local authority support is also required when dealing with the legal aspects of reducing fire risk such as prosecuting offenders.

Important risk reduction lessons include:

  • Posting signboards - particularly those depicting the penalties associated with lighting fires - at high fire risk areas and high value sites discourages people from lighting fires and promotes responsible behaviour. We recommend obtaining approval from local authorities before using these signboards and seeking their advice on their deployment locations.
  • Holding multiple wildfire public education sessions each year. Sessions conducted prior to the fire season seek to change people’s behaviour and reduce wildfire risk. Sessions should continue through the fire season to ensure that people remain conscious of the risk of wildfire.
  • As wildfire is caused by people the wildfire management team should focus on educating community members and seasonal migrants whose livelihoods rely on fishing, and thus the flooded forest. Migrant fishermen and cattle grazers should be engaged as they are held responsible for lighting fires in the past.
  • Encourage women to join the awareness and education sessions as they are best at reminding their family members and neighbors about the causes and dangers of wildfire.
  • Members of the wildfire management team should share their contact details with migrant fishermen, so they can inform them if they detect any fires.
Implementation of Urban EbA Measures in Dong Hoi City

At the stakeholder consultation workshop, three urban EbA measures were identified and selected to pilot in Dong Hoi city, including: 

1) The water retention measure aims to address flood risk through water retention and delayed runoff during flooding, and heat stress reduction in the core urban zone of Dong Hoi City. It integrates urban flood risk management, relieves pressure on Cau Rao River as the main floodway protecting the city, improves existing ecosystem health, and increases blue-green space for the city. The measure is designed with multiple urban EbA components, including (1) a water retention area for flood reduction, (2) permeable surfaces (e.g. using native species of grass, vegetation and pavement) for storing water runoff, (3) swales along the existing road to reduce runoff and infiltration of pollutants, (4) additional trees to provide shading and regulate microclimate, (5) a protected area for habitat and to enable scientific investigation.

2) The green wall and green roof measure aims to conserve green spaces in the municipality in the face of increasing pressure to develop the natural lands due to rapid urbanization, contribute to the reduction of surface temperature and heat stress during hot summer months and flood risk mitigation, green-blue components (e.g. trees, vegetation layers...). The measure is designed with facade greening on exterior walls and a rooftop garden replaced the traditional corrugated iron-roof of the building adjacent to a rainwater harvesting system. 

3) The Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) aims to enhance the drainage system through applying a nature-based approach in the construction and operation of the system to improve the flood management in the urban area. It helps to address the problem of local hotspot flooded areas during heavy rainfalls or typhoons in Dong Hoi city. The measure is designed and implemented with following components: 

  • Two underground storage tanks with storage capacity of 150 m3 with soak-away structure
  • Eight inlets to collect rainwater on the road surface around the site
  • Perforated uPVC collection pipes that are connected to the existing drainage system with a one-way backflow preventer
  • Sidewalk paving slabs replaced by permeable structure
  • Green trees to increase water permeability on land surface

The results showcase the effectiveness and possibilities of green interventions in helping the city to cope with increasing temperatures, flood management and energy efficiency while reducing GHG emissions. On top of that, lessons learnt and practical experiences in terms of technical knowledge, methodology and approach were shared, expanded and integrated into provincial technical standards, urban planning and relevant binding documents. 

In fact, in order to finalise the urban EbA measures at site after the selection process, there were different steps required according to Viet Nam's legal frameworks and project's procedures: 

  • Site assessment: Planning an urban EbA measure required a thorough site assessment of the local climatic and geographical conditions to inform the optimum design and installation requirements. A comprehensive site assessment examined climate, hydrology, soil and water conditions on meso- and micro-level and takes into account the existing built environment.
  • Planning: At this step, it was important to set an upfront goal of each urban EbA measure as this will influence the design, construction and level of maintenance required for the system. The scale, relationship to other facilities, benefits and impacts to communities and region, problems to be addressed were defined and elaborated. In addition, stakeholder engagement needed to be considered to define relevant involved parties and their roles, specialists, technical designers and service providers. All relevant procedures and regulations were figured out as well.
  • Design phase: The crucial step of this phase was to develop a technical design document for the measure. Based on the set goals, site assessment results and requirements, the designers and technical experts prepared the technical drawings and the design report. Aspects related to size, functional components, technology, materials, timeline and cost estimation needed to be included. Consultation process to present the technical design was conducted for comments and feedback from different stakeholders before submitting all files for approval by local authorities. Upon the approval of the technical design document, the process to obtain the construction permit needed to be carried out according to government regulations. 
  • Implementation: The construction implementer and construction supervision consultants were selected through a bidding process. An implementation plan was worked out and agreed by all relevant stakeholders before construction on the site. Local authorities and project partners took the roles of overall management, monitoring the work progress. Monthly meetings were conducted to update the progress and deal with arising issues during the implementation. The relevant government regulations and standard requirements needed to be complied fully and strictly at this phase. At the end of this phase, the implementation guidelines, lesson learnt and leaflets to promote the results were developed and shared in public for awareness raising and upscaling in the region. 
  • Engagement of private sector: After participating in all consultation stakeholder and urban EbA measure selection processes, private sector is interested in involvement and application of urban EbA approach in their daily work implementation to enhance their capacity and knowledge in this field. In particular, the Environment and Urban Development Company has together with the project worked out co-implementation plan for SUDS measure due to it is in line with their mandate and professional experiences. Moreover, the company has committed to cover 50% of the cost for implementation of the SUDS measure from their company yearly budget. Besides, upon the completion of the measure, the company currently covers the maintenance cost for the measure. 
  • Maintenance: Upon the completion of the implementation phase, the urban EbA measures were handed over to provincial partners. A consultation process was conducted to agree upon the roles and responsibilities on management, operation and maintenance of the work by parties who took over. Planning and budget allocation was prepared and committed to on the partner side. 

In fact, the three measures are applied the “Delay-Store-Drain” approach of the Living Water Principles1 in improvement of flood management, natural ecosystems in urban areas. These combined hybrid, blue-green elements of the three implemented measures help to enhance the urban landscape while contributing to reducing current climatic risks, with a particular focus on flood risks and heat-stress in the city. Three implemented urban EbA measures are integrated measures which have clear linkage and complimentary solutions in enhancing climate resilience and ecosystem services maintenance of Dong Hoi city. Meanwhile the Water retention area measure contributes to the reduced urban runoff discharge pressure through the creation of open field retention, waterscapes recharging, increasing permeable surfaces and green spaces, vegetation cover on land surface of the city, the Green wall green roof measure presents complimentary options for creating green spaces on the building to reduce heat stress and provide direct cooling to the buildings, increasing water storage and regulating stormwater runoff through rainwater harvesting components. Additionally, the Sustainable urban drainage system contributes to enhance city drainage system for flood management improvements.

During the stakeholder consultation and urban EbA measure selection processes, gender approach is always considered through engagement of at least 50% women participants in all events and discussion and all their inputs are recognized and integrated into the final results.

  • Close cooperation, support of local governments and stakeholders in the implementation of urban EbA measures and their commitment in combating global climate change and promoting sustainable development
  • Capacity building and awareness raising activities help provincial stakeholders obtaining good understanding and knowledge on the importance and benefits of urban EbA approach in enhancing ecological services, biodiversity and climate change adaptation, and promoting their engagement in implementation of the pilot measures.
  • High commitment, engagement and contribution from the private sectors to invest in adaptation measures, enabling the great success of the project 
  • Integration of EbA approach into urban planning  processes as well as relevant policies, ensuring the sustainability of the interventions
  • Lack of technical standards and regulations necessary to implement the urban EbA measures it takes longer time to explain and capacity building for provincial partners in the process of implementation approval at provincial level. 
  • Various unforeseen requirements and procedures by local government during the implementation and handing over
  • Lack of a comprehensive database of technologies, products, and local manufacturers for the input materials (e.g Green wall green roof measure) caused the challenges for the preparation of designing and planning  document to submit for approval at provincial level. 
  • Local authorities needed more time to revise current technical standards as the approaches were quite new.
  • Tangible benefits of urban EbA measures could only be seen after a relatively long period of time. However, local leaders needed to prove the results in their planning and report cycle. Therefore, public investment for EbA measures in provincial planning is still limited.
  • Facilitating the participation and involvement of private sector at very early phase of consultation, awareness raising, selection of urban EbA measure and designing phase that promote their engagement and contribution in the process of implementation of the measure
Moving towards implementation and impact on the ground

Our Blue Future (OBF) developed a three-year strategy (2023-2025), which will be implemented through a collaborative OBF system involving government agencies, the private sector, local communities, and development partners. The strategy is to deliver on three strategic pillars:

  1. Empowering stakeholders
  2. Improving integrated ocean governance
  3. Promoting sustainable investment and financial flows in the blue economy sectors.

Thematic action areas were identified as the following: Blue tourism, circular economy, community livelihoods, ports and shipping, blue finance, fisheries, blue technology, and nature-based solutions/grey-green infrastructure.

 

Concrete activities are being implemented in the pilot country of Mozambique, including work on circular economy and the development of a Club of Friends for Maputo National Park.

  • Establishing strategic partnerships with key institutions which can be used as a model of how private companies and other actors can collaborate to support coastal and marine protected areas in a more systematic and effective manner.
  • Designing a structure for collaboration in a participatory manner and then mobilizing more partners of aligned vision to implement together.
  • For long-term results, it is important to forge strategic partnerships that capitalize on private sector interests while supporting sustainable livelihoods and marine and coastal conservation.
Data collection, reflexion, and adaptation for sustainability with relevant partners

The data collection and ongoing monitoring of the project's achievements were carried out by a dedicated Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) team. This team, external to MUVA, conducted in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and periodic analysis of each action plan at baseline, midline, and final stages. This systematic approach allowed for comprehensive data collection, culminating in a reflection meeting at the end of the initiative. Facilitated by a senior facilitator, results were presented to the MUVA, Aquapesca, and Pro Azul teams. The meeting provided an opportunity for teams to extract key learnings and formulate a path for scaling and sustaining the initiative.

  • Budget for an external MEL team allocated for the project
  • Aquapesca availability to engage in the MEL data collection process
  • As the project is highly innovative and tailored, some of the success indicators are developed during the definition of action plans. Consequently, the MEL team's involvement in mentoring sessions allowed for the creation of indicators aligned with actions and the periodic monitoring of results. This approach promoted motivation and agility in the execution of plans by observing the progress of the initiative.
Drone Data

Drones play a pivotal role in the 3LD-Monitoring system, complementing other data collection methods.Drones are essential tools in partner countries to fortify technical skills among local staff. These skills encompass flight planning, navigation and image evaluation. The drone monitoring aims to empower project staff to capture data tailored for photogrammetric analyses, from which crucial geoinformation emerges.

The drone mapping methodology encompasses five stages, with the first two focusing on drone operations:

 

  1. Mapping mission preparation (desktop work)
  2. Mapping mission execution (fieldwork)
  3. Development of Digital Surface Model (DSM) & Orthomosaic generation (desktop work)
  4. Data analysis and refinement (desktop work)
  5. Integration into the prevailing data system (desktop work)

 

Drone data aids in evaluating indicators linked to carbon/biomass, such as mortality rates and forest types. Notably, with the application of allometric equations and proper characterization of the land type, above-ground biomass estimations of trees can be determined.

Drones with pre-set flight planning capability ensure seamless orthophoto creation from individual images. This enables individual snapshots to seamlessly merge into an orthophoto (aerial photograph corrected for distortions, allowing accurate measurements). It's also vital to consider the availability of these drones in the local markets of partner countries. Leveraging local knowledge by involving local academia is paramount in this process. They can provide essential allometric equations, grounded in tree height, that facilitate precise biomass calculations.

Drones generate high resolution images, allowing a detailed overview of land cover changes, tree survival and erosion rates, among others. Combined with field data, drone-based monitoring is strengthened, guaranteeing a sound monitoring.

 

The heterogeneity of trees and vegetation density often hinders a sound extraction of common key points between the images, which is necessary to estimate the heights and other indicators. In this regard, increasing the overlap between images to a minimum of 85 % frontal and side overlap can improve the extraction of key points. Also, increasing the flight height of the drone reduces perspective distortion, which facilitates the detection of visual similarities between overlapping images. However, too much overlapping, i.e., high overlapping percentages result in higher amount of data, making data processing more time intensive.

 

Another aspect already mentioned is the availability of suitable drones in the partner countries. Importing drones to the respective countries is difficult, and bureaucratic barriers persist.

Satellite Data

Satellite data forms the bedrock of the 3LD-Monitoring system, harnessing the capabilities of open-source imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 and LANDSAT satellites. An algorithm, meticulously developed by Remote Sensing Solutions (RSS) GmbH, revolutionizes this process. Users can seamlessly submit the shapefile of their area of interest, prompting the algorithm to automatically fetch and analyze relevant data. A spectrum of robust analyses are conducted including the 5-year vegetation trend using NDVI for assessing vegetation gains or losses, 5-year vegetation moisture analysis through NDWI, and a nuanced 5-year rainfall trend evaluation. Additionally, the algorithm facilitates the visualization of vegetation changes since the inception of the project, bolstering the monitoring framework with dynamic insights. Satellite data, a vital component of the 3LDM-Monitoring system, leverages open-source imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission and LANDSAT satellites. For predefined areas, this data is automatically fetched and analyzed for specific parameters. Key analyses include a 5-year vegetation trend using NDVI as a proxy for vegetation gains or losses, a 5-year vegetation moisture trend through NDWI, and a 5-year rainfall trend. In addition vegetation changes from project start can be visualized.

Effective use of this building block hinges on users drawing and saving areas in GIS platforms like QGIS. Additionally, enhancing the shapefile with project specifics, such as start dates and FLR type, optimizes analysis. Proper training in these skills ensures accurate data input and tailored monitoring, making capacity building in these areas essential if not present.

While satellite data, especially open-source, offers broad insights, its capability for species identification is highly restricted, if not unattainable. This limitation emphasizes the indispensable role of field work in discerning species composition and characteristics. Additionally, understanding the innate constraints of satellite imagery, especially with young tree plantations, reinforces the need for integrating field and drone data to gain a comprehensive view of forest terrains.

Field Data

Satellite and drone images, despite their undeniable contribution for monitoring, they are limited in the initial years of FLR efforts. Data collection at field level is crucial in the first projects years.

 

Data collection at field level is further divided into three participative approaches:

 

  • Permanent sampling plots: Fixed plots, where tree height, DBH, and tree survival rates will be estimated. Permanent sampling plots will be assessed in 3-year interval, due to their high labor and time input.
  • Land use planning: discussion rounds for the assessment of information, as well as identification of endangered species according to the Red List of Threatened Species by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). It is integrated into other land use planning processes, and thus, has not a defined assessment interval.
  • Transects: Identification of floristic and faunistic species, as well as forest structure composition, in an assessment interval of three months

All relevant indicators included in the three participative approaches are collected using the KOBO Toolbox. This software offers suitable conditions and is easy to operate, aligning with the monitoring objectives of the project.

A participative approach is essential in guaranteeing a long-term monitoring of the restored areas. The symbiosis of local knowledge and training/capacity building of local staff and regional partners is the core of this approach. Identifying the needs of the community, organizing discussion rounds, involving the local community in the developing and testing of the monitoring system, encourages consciousness and connection to the restored landscape.

  • Field Data Priority: In early FLR stages, field-level data collection is more effective than relying solely on satellite and drone images.

  • Participative Approaches: Employing participative methods like permanent sampling plots, land use planning, and transects involves local communities and enhances monitoring.

  • Appropriate Technology: Using user-friendly tools like KOBO Toolbox aligns well with project objectives and simplifies data collection.

  • Local Community Engagement: Engaging and training local communities ensures long-term success and fosters a connection to the restored landscapes.

Efficient Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system

Compared to similar carbon projects in agriculture, the Western Kenya Soil Carbon Project piloted an efficient Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system. By using a modelling approach instead of pure activity monitoring, monitoring costs of the scheme could be decreased significantly. Also, the pilot uses digital monitoring tools (app), which makes the MRV more efficient. The digitalized MRV system provides the potential to integrate commodity market platform access for smallholder farmers. 

Sufficient financial resources to ensure the availability of digtial tools are important. Moreover people need to be available in the field to introduce farmers to the digital tools like apps and help with problems and questions. A coordination entity to supervise this but also the whole MRV process and its quality is thus a key component.

Increasing the efficiency of carbon schemes requires reduction of transaction costs, for example by applying satellite-based SOC monitoring or digital extension service support systems. To improve partner countries' national climate MRV system efficiency, it is recommended to link carbon projects MRV to national carbon registries.