Strategic mainstreaming of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) into planning frameworks in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh Province
Full Solution
Participatory approaches for planning as commonly used method for EbA.
GIZ Vietnam, 2015
The solution supports Vietnamese government’s efforts to anchor EbA solutions systemically into land use planning law as well as mainstreaming into climate change regional action plans at provincial level in Ha Tinh and Quang Binh. This helps raising awareness on EbA approaches. Many project partners have shown interest and commitments in integrating EbA solutions into current policy elaborating processes and daily works based on vulnerability assessments and capacity development measures.
Last update: 01 Oct 2020
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Context
Challenges addressed
High population density in lowland river delta and coastal areas. -Long coastline exposed to cyclones. -Sea level rise of 20cm over the past fifty years and projection of 100cm by 2100. Increased frequency and severity of typhoons and other severe storms, with associated storm surges, salt water intrusion, flooding, landslides and damage to coastal infrastructure. -Government’s focus is mainly on hard adaptation measures, e.g. dykes for flood prevention and coastal protection which are needed but generate threats of damaging ecosystems. –Limited knowledge and capacities of governmental leaders, staff and communities on sustainability and benefits of EbA approach and measures. It is also necessary to mainstream EbA into development planning as well as decision making process.
Location
Vietnam
Southeast Asia
Process
Summary of the process
The results of the vulnerability assessments (BB1) are a precondition for knowing the most vulnerable regions and sectors. Together with the implementation of training and capacity development measures (BB2) it is the foundation for systematically integrating EbA into the Strategic Environmental Assessment (BB3), provincial climate response planning (BB4) and finally draft planning bill (BB5)
Building Blocks
Vulnerability Assessments for Socio-ecological Systems
The EbA vulnerability assessments (VA) provide an overview of climate change hotspots and identify priorities for Action at the the macro- (Provincial-level) and micro-level (community or local-scale). The Macro-level VA uses existing information on province’s ecological, social and economic assets and climate change projection and identifies specific “hot spots” that require cloer attention. It enables a province to get a comprehensive overview of climate change issues and identify priorities for action. The micro-level VA focuses on a selection hot-spots and repeats the analysis, applying more conventional bottom-up methods of field work, local data collection and stakeholder participation. The key concept here is VA for Socio-Ecological System (SES) incl. the following: Scoping the provincial context for climate change to identify and prioritize the important issues ; Identification of SES and key economic assets based on economic, social and ecological profiles, and using the expert judgment based on Google Earth to identify different types of land cover, infrastructure and human activities; VA of SES and KEA including assessment of impacts, adaptive capacities, vulnerabilities; Identifying EbA and other Adaptation Options.
Enabling factors
-Active support of relevant provincial departments in collecting data, information, field work as well as availability for discussion and consultation with expert team.
-Available datasets on digital formats as well as time series for socio-economic sectors, land cover maps, etc.
Lesson learned
-Good climate, social, economic, and ecological database in time series is very important to provide scientifically sound assessments and recommendations
-Interdisciplinary and inter-department coordination is very important because climate change, climate change adaptation are cross-cutting issues and go beyond mandates of a single department,
-Local knowledge and local participation is very important to identify their local climate change problems and propose their locally-tailor made EbA solutions,
-Innovation and flexibility in application of EbA vulnerability assessment is a key to success to adapt with existing data and information and local contexts.
-Participation of local government officers ensures that findings and recommendations of EbA will be taken up and translated into policy and guidances.
EbA Capacity Development Strategy and Trainings
Provincial institutions (government officials and training institutions) develop capacities to mainstreaming EbA based on a capacity development strategy (CDS) along 4 dimensions: people, organizations, networks& cooperation, and framework conditions. The CDS and roll out includes the following steps:
1. Capacity&needs assessment of a) target groups on EbA knowledge and learning habits via interviews b) 10 potential training service providers taking into account training experiences of international organizations (IUCN, WWF, UNDP).
2. Elaborating tailor-made training materials on the GIZ “Integrating climate change adaptation into development with a focus on ecosystem-based Adaptation” based on the Harvard Case Method and adapted to the Vietnamese context with IPCC SREX report terminology.
3. Carrying out a test training to come up with an intercultural sensitive didactic concepts and key topics.
4. Conduct ToTs for training service providers to institutionalize the EbA training in the long term. 25 participants from 4 different experienced training service providers in Vietnam were trained.
5. Conduct customized trainings for provincial technical staff by service providers bassed on TOT experiences.
Enabling factors
•Increasing need for climate change adaptation in Vietnam in recent years, especially after COP21
•Increasing awareness of of climate change in sector policies, strategies and programming frameworks
•Recent national policies and strategies of Vietnam to response to climate change emphasize EbA.
•Concrete need of EbA capacity development by policy makers and practitioners in (non)-governmental organizations
•Close cooperation of partners stakeholders
Lesson learned
•Human Capacity Development measures need to be very practical and topic oriented. The training methodology including case methods offered experience-based learning and allowed to break down the complex issue into tangible steps generated practice-oriented knowledge.
•Steady dialogue with other international organizations and the main governmental institutions should be established to benefit from synergies and take up new opportunities
•Limitations when establishing a regular training offer on CCA/EbA: lack of a well-funded demand in Vietnamese institutions,experienced trainers barely exist.
•Training courses duration not longer than 5 days because of a low commitment of full attendance
•Field trips should be integrated as they are valuable learning experience for trainees.
•To ensure sustainability training institutions rather than individual freelance trainers have been selected for the ToT training.
Integrating EbA into the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process for the revision of the National Land-use Plan for 2016 – 2020
This process had been led by General Department of Land Administration (GDLA), and Department of Appraisal and Environmental Impact Assessment (DAEIA) under Vietnam Environment Administration (VEA) with technical support from GIZ and in collaboration with Institute of Strategy and Policy for Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE). This was the first-ever effort had been made in this regard in Vietnam without any precedence. SEA constitutes a frontline tool for mainstreaming a range of sustainability related concerns in so-called ‘strategic’ decisions over the world. This is reflected, for example, in the increasing range of issues that both EIA and SEA have been expected to encompass: from human health and well-being to climate change adaptation. Vietnam has a fairly well institutionalized system of SEA, with the first legislation having been introduced in 2005 and a second generation legal framework being implemented in 2011. Thus SEA is considered as a good opportunity/vehicle to add on EbA topic into the strategic planning process. Expected impacts include an improvement of the regulatory framework for integrating EbA into the SEA process and the planning process in Viet Nam.
Enabling factors
•The approval and verification of the COP 21 Paris Agreement at the global and national level have created a good enabling environment for CCA and EbA to find ways into the agenda of GoV
•Awareness of policy makers and practitioners on CCA and EbA as a good complementary alternative to hardware solutions has been increasing, partially due to efforts of the GIZ/EbA project,
•Political willingness on adaptation is very important to realize political commitments into practice because most of fin
Lesson learned
•Integration of EbA into the SEA process is a big challenge due to lack of a sound legal basis and a clear, practical guidance
•Recommendations from the SEA process have been taken into consideration into the revision of the National Land-use Plan for 2016 – 2020 so that the revised National Land-use Plan for 2016 – 2020 has become more climate change proven.
•In-house training/capacity building on integrating EbA into the SEA process and conducting SEA with Climate Change considerations had been delivered to government officers from GDLA, VEA/MONRE, ISPONRE.
•exisiting gap in the SEA regulatory framework, in which there was no clear guidance on how to consider CC and EbA into the SEA process. As a result, MONRE’s leaders agreed to start a legal formulation process for a Circular on Climate Proofing to facilitate adequate considerations of CC, CCA, and EbA into the SEA process.
Integrating EbA into Provincial Climate Change Response Plans
Updating the Provincial Climate Change Response Action Plans (CCRAP) of Quang Binh province and Ha Tinh province for 2016 – 2020 was an important entry point for EbA mainstreaming. This process had been led by Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DONRE) of Quang Binh and of Ha Tinh with technical support from GIZ. The Provincial CCRAP is a legal basis for all coordinated efforts of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces in response to climate change mitigation and adaptation. This CCRAP includes priority projects and programs implemented by different provincial agencies to response to climate changes in Quang Binh and Ha Tinh during the period of 2016 – 2020. Findings and recommendations from the Vulnerability Assessment for Socio-Ecological Systems including recommendations of EbA have been fed into the CCRAP process at both provincial and local levels to create synergies. Expected impacts are to reduce negative impacts of climate changes in Quang Binh and Ha Tinh in the short run and in the long run.
Enabling factors
•Sufficient awareness on current and furture climate change impacts among provincial authorities
•Willingness to cooperate across sectors and government agencies
Lesson learned
oCapacity of provincial officers involved in the CCRAP updating process including DONRE, DPI, DARD was significantly improved but continuous capacity developmenemnt efforts are needed due to staff turnover
oEbA has been perceived by provincial policy makers and professional officers as a promising measure to adapt to climate change in Quang Binh and Ha Tinh that has never happened before.
Integrating Climate Change (CC) and Ecosystem Services (ES) into the draft Planning Bill
oThis process had been led by Department of Planning Management (DPM) under Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) in collaboration with Institute of Strategy and Policy for Natural Resources and Environment (ISPONRE) and with technical support from GIZ. This was the first-ever effort had been made in this regard in Vietnam without any precedence. The draft Planning Bill is expected to constitute a comprehensive legal framework for planning in Vietnam that was rather chaotic in the past. MPI’s ambition is to bring all stakeholders and their interests in one plan and to improve the regulatory framework for integrating EbA into the planning processes.
oA comprehensive concept note providing a comprehensive picture/panorama on how to integrate Climate Change and Ecosystem Service Considerations into the planning system in Vietnam from the Law, Decree, and Circular levels has been made available to policy makers of MPI, GoV, and National Assembly.
oConcrete recommendations and texts for integrating CC and ES have been made available to the draft Planning Bill for MPI for their consideration.
oCapacity building for MPI’s officers have been made.
Enabling factors
•strong interest and mandate of Ministry of Planning and Investment in the topic
•willingness to cooperate among different institutions
•unclear planning frameworks of the past created a high demand for change
Lesson learned
Capacity building and the formation of multi-stakeholder partnerships were important elements of this activity
Impacts
Social: Based on a series of orientation workshops, meetings and trainings, EbA has been integrated into provincial planning process and helped to promote EbA issues into different discussions and sector plans. The capacity building work has provided basic knowledge on climate change and (ecosystem-based) adaptation and ensured their sustained integration into provincial planning processes. Training courses have been conducted to enhance knowledge as well as a methodology on integrating EbA approach into development planning for partners’ staff at both levels and a number of training service providers so that they are able to design and provide relevant EbA trainings for relevant stakeholders. Adaptation: The understanding of local authorities and communities on climate change impacts, risks and seeking for appropriate measures was raised. A vulnerability assessment study conducted provided an overall picture on available ecosystems and ecosystem-services in the province and impacts by climate change to the available ecosystems and as well as adaptive capacity of different stakeholders in the provinces. The results of the VA studies provided useful and important data and information to provincial departments, leaders and policy maker to define and implement EbA pilot measures in 2 provinces incl. planting of coastal forests, mangroves and rehabilitation of natural resrevoirs.
Beneficiaries
Policy makers of Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural development. Local vulnerable communities, research institutes/ universities, women’s unions, farmers associations
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG 6 – Clean water and sanitation
SDG 13 – Climate action
