Between 9^th and 10^th June, 2016, the Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI), the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD), the Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR), the People’s Committee of Giao Thuy district and partners successfully organized a workshop to disseminate and receive feedbacks on baseline results in Giao Thuy district, Nam Dinh province. This activity is under the framework of the project: “Red River Delta Adaptation And Youth Project” (READY)

After more than 6 months of surveys and assessment to provide input information for Project planning, the Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI) in collaboration with its partners organized this workshop in order to share assessment results on: Knowledge – Attitude – Practice of local people, especially young people in climate change adaptation (CCA), vulnerability and capacity in CCA, CC trends and sea level rise scenario by 2100, demands and capacity  of Youth Union at all levels in CCA.

Besides sharing and obtaining feedback on CCA, this event also aims to connect stakeholders of the Project to prepare for CCA plan development in Giao Thuy district as well as to share experiences in project implementation with other Project sites.

Participants in the workshop

The workshop welcomed representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment of Nam Dinh province; the People’s Committee of Giao Thuy district, the Youth Union of Giao Thuy district, the Natural Resources and Environment Sub-Department and the Sub-Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Giao Thuy district, leaders and local people of Project communes: Giao An, Giao Tien, Giao Nhan along with representatives of the Project Management Unit including AMDI, MCD and CECR.

Throughout the workshop, every report sessions attracted much attention and received a number of practical comments from participants, especially local people in project communes, who own empirical experience in local economic, cultural and social situation as well as local weather-climate conditions and CC impacts. Based on these comments, AMDI will complete the final reports and then share them widely with localities as well as organizations, scholars and practitioners working in CC adaptation and mitigation.

Mr. Phung Van Nhan – Vice Chairman of Giao Thuy district was making a speech at the workshop

At the workshop, Mr Phung Van Nhan – Vice President of People’s Committee of Giao Thuy district stated that: “Climate change is not something far away but it has been happening so far. Therefore, everyone needs to take actions to restrict climate change and make this process slower”. Also, according to Mr. Phung Van Nhan, climate change has had profound impacts on localities’ life, namely unpredictable frequency and intensity of natural disasters, increasingly serious salinity intrusion, etc.

He also expected that READY Project will help to figure out shortcomings in CCA at localities and solutions. “Currently, only a plan on natural disaster prevention and control at district level has been developed meanwhile climate change is a broad field. It is expected that the Project will support the district in developing CCA plan. This plan will be integrated into the annual socio-economic development plan. Simultaneously, Mr. Phung Van Nhan said that district authorities have learnt about knowledge, initiatives and good practices in CCA within the framework of Project. These initiatives will be approved and replicated to 19 communes throughout district rather than being limited within 3 communes of the project site.

A representative was giving comments in the discussion

At the workshop, delegates also proposed a number of adaptation measures to each locality, for example: enhancing communication and raising local people’s awareness on environmental protection and climate change, training young people as local propagandists on climate change, formulating and instructing practices in CCA, integrating environmental protection in socio-economic development, etc.

Following this dissemination and consultation workshop, specific activities in the effort of CCA will be implemented in Giao Thuy district and other project sites including Tien Hai district (Thai Binh) and Cat Hai district (Hai Phong). During the period from now to the end of September, 2016, it is expected that AMDI and MCD, along with district authorities, will develop a district CCA plan, a master communication plan on climate change and implement initiatives proposed by youths of districts to adapt to climate change.

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The project “Red River Delta Adaptation and Youth Project” (READY) aims to promote effective, creative initiatives in CCA in the Red River Delta and to strengthen the leading role of youths in making decisions and actions in CCA. The project is funded by USAID and implemented during the period from 2015 to 2018 by the Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD), the Asian Management and Development Institute (AMDI) along with the Center for Environment and Community Research (CECR).

Source: Ngoc Quynh – AMDI