Global Development Issues
Climate Change
Climate change is a challenging issue worldwide. Rising temperatures and sea levels in conjunction with extreme weather events are currently being felt in many parts of the world. This phenomenon will affect the poor and most vulnerable communities the hardest.
The changes in the climate will be felt the most in developing countries where livelihoods and ecosystems are highly sensitive to changes in climate.
Action must be taken to reduce global warming by reducing greenhouse emissions and assist those people and systems that are currently facing changes to adapt to these changing climatic conditions.
The effects of climate change will have major implications for food security, health, income and access to clean water. Poor rural people who are dependent on agriculture for their income, and other marginalized groups who lack access to the resources and services that would allow them to adapt will be most at risk.
Adaptation to climate change will be crucial to minimise the implications on local vulnerable communities to achieving sustainable development and reduction of poverty. These communities must be prepared for disasters and the international community must assist in providing resources for adaptation, and support capacity development in vulnerable countries to combat the challenge of climate change.
AFAP’s response
AFAP is working to reduce the vulnerability of communities in developing countries from the impacts of climate change. AFAP are building the capacity of local partners and local communities to understand the challenge of climate change and to develop suitable plans to adapt to these changes.
Our strategy is focused on integrating climate change adaptation initiatives into new specific climate change projects, as well as integrating climate change into ongoing projects with a particular aim to address climate change impacts through community-based adaptation and capacity building.
Climate Change in Vietnam – Lower Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta Region captures a large part of Southern Vietnam, where climate change is expected to have a large impact on the livelihoods of people who live in this area.
Climate changes in this region are expected to result in weather changes in temperature, rainfall and wind. The frequency and duration of the extreme events may cause droughts and floods which can lead to large amounts of salt water intrusion.
Food production and agriculture are the likely to be the most affected by these changes and a large majority of the community is reliant on this sector for their livelihoods.
There is a high demand for these communities to have an understanding of the potential impacts from climate change and most importantly to have a range of options to adapt to these changes.
AFAP Climate Change Project – Soc Trang & Binh Dinh Vietnam
AFAP has been working on climate change initiatives in Vietnam since 2009 with a pilot project carried out in Phuoc Thuan District, Binh Dinh Province on the central coast of Vietnam.
Binh Dinh Province is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels as it is located on the coast and there are already erosion issues having a large impact on aquaculture farming.
The project’s main objective was to undertake a survey to analyse the impacts of climate change and sea level rise on socio-economic activities and livelihoods of its coastal residents and to develop adaptation plans to minimise those impacts.
A summary report including the findings and recommendations was presented to the local people to assist them in developing a local adaptation plan. Local adaption actions were taken in the community including awareness raising workshops and land management practices in particular mangrove plantations to assist with saltwater intrusion and erosion impacts.
AFAP is continuing this project in the Soc Trang Province located in the Mekong Delta. This project is also aimed at community based adaptation to climate change and sea level rise.
Soc Trang has been identified as one of the provinces within Vietnam that will suffer the most form rising sea levels due to global climate change. These changes will have severe impacts on water resources, natural disaster management, agriculture and poor communities. One of the main risks is flooding and salt water intrusion.
The main outcome of this project is to identify the most vulnerable aspects of the community and to communicate these findings to the local community, in order to improve adaptation action on climate change impacts. In addition these communities will be assisted with training on climate change, and a framework to ensure the training is sustainable within the community in particular accessible for those who need it the most. Adaptation plans will be integrated into local development plans at a district and provincial levels.
AFAP hopes to expand this project into other districts in the future.
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