A workshop was held in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang onSeptember 4-5 to discuss methods to combine climate change response anddisaster risk alleviation efforts with socio-economic developmentplanning.

The event was co-organised by theAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Community-basedClimate Change Action Grants and several non-governmental organisationsactive in Vietnam .

During the workshop,delegates voiced their opinions on the pressing issues of climate changeadaptation and disaster risk reduction, with a special focus on theirrespective impacts on coastal regions, the environment in general, andagriculture, as well as on children, women and people with disabilities –the members of society most vulnerable to the impacts of climatechange.

Representatives from differentlocalities shared their practical experiences in combining climatechange adaptation with socio-economic development planning.

Do Ngoc Hoa, Deputy Director of Nam Dinh’s Planning and InvestmentDepartment, reported on the northern coastal province, which is affectedby saltwater intrusion during the dry season, and landslides and floodsduring the rainy season. To address these issues, the province’splanning processes now consider the impact of sea level rises on coastalproduction areas. Furthermore, the locality has prioritised investmentsin the dyke system and in aquaculture in brackish and saltwaterecosystems.

Huynh Van Muoi, a representative ofthe central province Quang Nam , told workshop participants that thelocality spent approximately 135 billion VND (6.34 million USD) onclimate change responses during the 2011-2015 period. Accordingly, theprovince constructed schools and healthcare facilities that can serve asshelters during natural disasters, and organised activities to increasethe local inhabitants’ awareness of climate change adaptation anddisaster alleviation.-VNA