An adaptive capacity assessment was conducted with key institutions and communities who participated in the implementation of the final urban EbA measures, through face-to-face interviews and group discussions. It is important to note that there was a general acceptance of the need to respond to climate change in the long term and the importance of using climate information to inform decision-making. However, the Dong Hoi-specific, contextualised understanding about long-term climate risk management and adaptation planning is less clear. The focus of development planning and implementation relies mainly on grey infrastructure interventions while the possibilities of blue and green infrastructure were little known. Furthermore, existing ecosystems which the city provides are not preserved and valued or integrated in a meaningful way when new infrastructure projects are planned. For example, resorts have been built on dunes and promoted as eco-resorts while the dune system was removed for a better view which eventually will lead to flooding and seabank erosion during the typhoon season.  

Therefore, along with the implementation of pilot urban EbA measures, a capacity development strategy for relevant stakeholders at different levels was elaborated. Awareness raising and technical trainings for provincial leaders and technical staff which are responsible for planning and approval processes in the city were core activities. The focus of these capacity building activities was, on the one hand, the general knowledge on urban adaptation, urban EbA and climate change risk and, on the other hand, on green/blue/grey adaptation options with an emphasis on the meaningful consideration of existing ecosystems in planning and approval procedures. In addition, relevant awareness raising activities on urban EbA was also initiated and conducted for urban communities of Dong Hoi city. 

In six different stakeholder workshops, nearly 200 provincial and municipal leaders, technical and private sector staff who are responsible for decision making and urban planning have improved their knowledge and understanding on urban adaptation, urban EbA and climate risk management. They were also involved in the urban EbA study which helped them to learn about the process of identifying potential benefits of EbA measures as well as gaps and challenges caused by climate change impacts in the city. 

Two technical training courses on urban EbA and climate risk assessment tools were carried out for about 80 provincial and district technical staff who are responsible for development planning at different levels. The participants were equipped with technical knowledge and tools which they could apply in their daily work to assess climate risks and potential EbA measures to enhance resilience and ecosystem services in the planning processes.

Ten awareness raising events were conducted for about 600 local people of ten urban communities in Dong Hoi city to provide basic knowledge on climate change impacts, climate change adaptation and urban EbA. The events created interesting opportunities for local people to discuss, exchange and brainstorm on their challenges and difficulties caused by climate change impacts and agree upon feasible adaptation measures at community level. Most of them confirmed that this was very interesting and helpful for their areas. 

As a result of the activity, relevant training material was developed and published. Moreover, urban EbA was integrated into the Provincial Climate Change Respond Action Plan of Quang Binh province. 

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.

In order to identify the most feasable urban EbA measures with the highest potential to pilot in Dong Hoi city, the first step was to carry out a scoping mission and a preliminary study to collect and analyse data to provide a scientific basis for the consultation process. The objective was to provide a detailed review and analysis of previous studies and information gathered through structured stakeholder engagement via interviews, focus group discussions and stakeholder consultations for a participatory selection of pilot measures with relevant partners. 

The scoping mission and the preliminary study were conducted to provide further insight into the specific vulnerabilities and the possible adaptation responses for Dong Hoi city. The findings were used to identify a short list of urban EbA measures as well as any outstanding knowledge gaps and/or information needs for the next steps. 

A multi-stakeholder engagement event was held to promote an open dialogue between stakeholders to discuss key issues related to climate impacts and local vulnerabilities. This knowledge exchange among key stakeholders strengthened relationships among key partners, enhanced partners’ understanding of urban EbA measures as well as generated knowledge to fill information and data gaps identified in the preliminary study.

Selection Process
Analysis: The identification, development and assessment of the selected urban EbA measures was based on a functionalistic approach in which the cause and effect of the main hazards compiled during the preliminary assessment and the scoping mission provided the basis for the revision of final measures. These measures, based on the causes of the key problems and their linkages to current and future climate hazards, were meant to take into account short-term and long-term considerations as much as possible.

Selection: The selection criteria were based on the Friends of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (FEBA) Assessment Framework for EbA Quality Standards. It was used in a participatory selection exercise during the second multi-stakeholder event and during consultation with key partners. The use of the framework provided a scientific and transparent selection process, based on an internationally endorsed tool.

The final measures, based on this selection process, was defined as: 1) Cau Rao EbA River Park (water retention areas), 2) Rain Gardens (green wall and green roof) and 3) Water Flow Management (SUDS).

SMART is used as a monitoring database for systematic archiving of data, documentation, analysis and data processing. It is also used for the preparation and evaluation of patrol reports and feedback sessions with rangers. A SMART operations room was established at the park and is used for interpreting monthly patrol reports, preparing feedback for patrol teams, developing adaptive patrol strategies, and planning deployment  of patrol teams by the SMART committee.

SMART provides an automated platform for making data entry, analysis, and report generation very easy. It reduces time of analysis and reporting from more than 12 days to 2-3 hours by using the SMART database manager. It also enables reporting of the full spectrum of work the park management does. SMART generates a variety of customisable, yet standardised reports and charts, for example of threat indicators, patrol effort statistics and individual ranger performance summaries.

SMART-based patrolling and field data collection is a methodology that utilizes the SMART framework to effectively guide and optimize patrolling activities and field data collection processes. The collection of SMART-data is automated by CyberTracker, an application that captures data and provides visualization capabilities. A patrol-configurable CyberTracker plug-in was implemented within the SMART-database to document illegal activities within national parks. It is specifically tailored for use at Nech Sar National Park, with data collection formats structured around threats, wildlife, and habitats. The data model and collection protocols focus on gathering only the necessary data for effective patrol management and management indicators.

SMART-based patrolling and field data collection has simplified and streamlined workflows and increased data accuracy and consistency. The platform also made it easy for the management to record their daily activities and helped to reduce workload on patrol teams by reducing time spent on filing the data collected by 50%. Detailed and standardised protocols of collection, storage, management, and processing of data on SMART support law enforcement and proper management of the national park and its resources.

SMART-based strategic planning is an approach that involves setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to guide the development and implementation of strategies. The SMART platform allows the park administration to improve the management effectiveness in terms of reducing illegal activities and improving patrol teams’ efforts and effectiveness of resources allocation. 

SMART-based strategic planning is used to:

• Set numeric and spatial targets - SMART focal persons in the park, in collaboration with the park management, set numeric and spatial targets for all patrol teams and prepare monthly deployment plans for both terrestrial and aquatic parts of the park. The targets help in setting clear and measurable benchmarks to the goals and objectives of patrol teams in protected areas. It makes tracking progress and measuring the impact of the strategic planning and law enforcement efforts easier.
• Create adaptive management mechanisms - Adaptive management mechanisms are useful for continuously creating a law enforcement plan, acting on the plan, measuring the impact of the plan, and creating a new improved plan based on that information. By learning from outcomes and revising, adaptive mechanisms help to address uncertainties and promote effective management strategies in dynamic systems.

The five villages frequented by cranes, the Cheorwon Crane Protection Association, the Bird Protection Association, the Crane Photography Club, the Farmers' Association, and other local residents and organizations deeply loving cranes formed and operate the ‘Cheorwon DMZ Crane Ecotourism Council’, extending beyond individual efforts. Under the leadership of local communities, it focused on sustaining the crane habitat. These include initiatives such as watering rice paddies, providing cranes with snails as a food source, and preserving rice straws on the fields. Notably, the council advocates for a form of tourism aligned with nature conservation.

Despite potential inconveniences, the emphasis is on a crane birdwatching program that adheres to birdwatching etiquette: 1) loving nature, 2) refraining from entering restricted areas, 3) avoiding collection or damage to natural elements, 4) maintaining cleanliness of facilities, 5) embracing slow travel, and 6) choosing local accommodations.

  In conjunction with the arrival of migratory birds, the local residents actively engage in crane population surveys and feeding activities in collaboration with esteemed experts from organizations such as the National Nature Trust and the Crane Protection Association

Local communities are actively contributing to habitat conservation through initiatives like preserving rice straws and providing water to rice paddies in winter, facilitated by Payment of Ecosystem Service (PES) contracts. Engaging in 'ecotourism programs, including crane birdwatching activities, and hosting 'Crane Seminars,' they create added value for their efforts. Furthermore, farmers in the Cheorwon area have taken an innovative approach by producing 'Cheorwon Odae Rice' and promoting their product brand using the image of the crane.

'The Cheorwon Crane Land,' serving as a conservation asset under the stewardship of the National Nature Trust is situated in Yangji-ri, which boasts a fertile plain and is adjacent to Togyo Reservoir and the Hantangang River, resulting in abundant water resources. This geographical advantage makes it a haven for various migratory birds that flock to the area every winter, typically from mid-October to March. Embracing its rich ecological setting, Yangji-ri has actively pursued becoming a full-fledged eco-village. This commitment has earned notable recognitions, including being selected as an eco-friendly excellent village in 2000, becoming a project operator of the New Rural Construction.

Cheorwon, situated in the vicinity of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), stands as a crucial wintering ground for cranes, an endangered species. Due to restricted development and civilian access since the Armistice Agreement in 1953, the area has become vital for the survival of these birds. The Cheorwon Plain, with its expansive farmlands and reservoirs, along with the wetlands of the DMZ, serves as essential feeding and resting grounds for crane species.

A positive trend has been observed in crane populations, with 372 red-crowned cranes and 474 white-napped cranes in the Cheorwon Plain in January 1999 (Kim Sang-won, et al. 2020). This upward trajectory has continued, reaching 833 red-crowned cranes and 2,766 white-napped cranes in January 2017. The commitment of local farmers, particularly since 2004, in preserving rice straws and providing water to rice paddies under the Biodiversity Management Agreement Project has played a significant role in this success.

This trust initiative aligns with the Global Trust's mission to safeguard private land in the DMZ (South) and the Civilian Control Zone, preserving it as public property and a 'common heritage of mankind' in the face of development pressures.

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.