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Climate Services for a Resilient Infrastructure: Planning Perspectives for Sustainable future of Viet Nam

This article summarizes some initial findings of Viet Nam’s efforts and presents an innovative approach with 3 strategic measures.

Abstract

This resource was submitted by the Climate Risk Institute fortheCanAdapt Climate Change Adaptation Community of Practice.

This article is an abridged version of the original text, which can be downloaded from the right-hand column. Please access the original text for more detail, research purposes, full references, or to quote text

Viet Nam currently is one of the top five countries most vulnerable to climate change (World Bank, 2019). Every year, Viet Nam invests billions of US dollars into long-term infrastructure projects, particularly coastal protection infrastructure (Nguyen X. T. and David D. 2009). However, future climate conditions are seldom considered systematically in the planning of such infrastructure, leading to bad investment decisions and consequently to high risks for economic losses in the face of emerging climate change.

In compliance with Viet Nam’s commitment to achieve goal 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), part of which is making infrastructure sustainable and resilient, and plan to set out and implement its Socio-Economic Development Plan (SEDP), National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Nationally Determined Contributions (I) NDCs, efforts are being made to increase resilience of infrastructure nationwide.

This article summarizes some initial findings of Viet Nam’s efforts and presents an innovative approach with 3 strategic measures: 1) To enhance provision of user-friendly climate services for infrastructure planners; 2) To enhance the use of climate services and consideration of climate risk assessment for infrastructure planning process and 3) To mainstream the approach of climate-proofing for infrastructure into the SEDP, NDC and NAP of Viet Nam.

A case study of climate risk assessment for a sluice gate investment project in the Mekong Delta was conducted as a showcase of collaboration between a climate service provider and an agricultural infrastructure planer for comprehensively considering/re-considering the infrastructure construction and operation design with regards to their resilience to climate change. Lessons learnt from several countries in dealing with climate risk such as Costa Rica, Brazil and Nile basin are also reflected and shared through a global forum and cooperation framework.

The combination of these measures will form the key element of an effective, feasible and sustainable solution for the inter-sectoral effort to comply with the strategic orientation of the government in response to climate change.

Suggested Citation:

Translated and adapted from the Viet Namese original, published March 2019 in the Journal of Economy Forecast Review, No. 7, Volume 03/2019, pp.10 – 15

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