Publication

This report focuses on two adaptation projects in Vietnam: a climate change vulnerabilityassessment in the Cat Khanh Commune, Binh Dinh province, and efforts to ‘mainstream’ adaptationin the Binh Dinh province’s fishery sector. Both studies were participatory in nature, and it was foundthat the mainstreaming activities benefitted significantly from the activities that were previouslyundertaken as part of the study, particularly the climate change training and the vulnerabilityassessment.Overall, mainstreaming adaptation in Binh Dinh province faces several difficulties: limited availabilityof accurate data; limited knowledge of adaptation amongst stakeholders (at both the provincialand commune levels); lack of local officers to conduct mainstreaming exercises; and lack ofofficial guidelines for mainstreaming climate change adaptation.

Still, provincial leaders lent theirsupport to the mainstreaming of adaptation in the Binh Dinh province, including the Binh Dinh’sClimate Change Coordination Office preparation of a legal document to mainstream adaptationinto local development plans. Once approved, this document will be Vietnam’s first attemptat integrating adaptation into development planning at the provincial level.Successful mainstreaming of adaptation requires a participatory approach, with a wide rangeof stakeholders working together with experts, exchanging ideas and building mutual trust.Bringing stakeholders together with adaptation experts also proved to be an effective way tobuild adaptation capacity. Greater coordination between sectors is also necessary. Unfortunately,within Vietnam there is limited cross-sectoral and/or cross-agency cooperation, if any. Bringingthe different groups together, particularly when the sectors/agencies do not fully understand orprioritize climate change, is a major challenge.