How to Respond to Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas E-Paper

7/29/2019 How to Respond to Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas E-Paper

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Community-Based Adaptationto the Impacts of Climate Change

in Urban Areas

Experiences from Ho Chi Minh CityManual for Community Action

How to respond to Climate Change Impactsin Urban Areas

A Handbook for Community Action


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Published byBrandenburg University of Technology CottbusDepartment for Urban Planning and Spatial Design &

enda Vietnam

2011 Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus

ISBN 978-3-00-034353-7

Authors

Ulrike Schinkel, L Diu nh, Frank Schwartze

TeamNguyn Th Xun, o c Khnh, Nguyn Ngc Ging, NguynTh Dung, Phm Th Vit H, L M Linh, Nguyn Th Thanh Ph,Nigel Downes, Paula Hentschel, Moritz Maikmper

AcknowledgementThe CBA model project has been a joint initiative of the Megacity Re-

search Project TP. Ho Chi Minh - Integrative Urban and Environmental

Planning Framework Adaptation to Climate Change, funded by theGerman Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), andenda Vietnam (Environment and Development in Action).enda Vietnam is the Vietnamese antenna of enda Tiers Monde; enda

Vietnams work focuses on community development, poverty reductionand environmental improvement.


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Preface

With this handbook, we attempt to make a

contribution to the current imperative discus-sion on climate change, its impacts felt on the

local level by communities and opportunities

for adaptation and vulnerability reduction. It is

predominantly dedicated to urban communities

that are presently and will be in the future af-fected by climate variability, by ooding and bythermal discomfort. The handbook traces the

adaptation approach of one local community in

Ho Chi Minh City and makes the tools utilised

available to other communities with a similar

11

not built-uparea

built-uparea

riverandcanalnetwork

inundationduetosea-levelrise

Flooding Scenario for2050

taking into accounta projected

sea-level riseof1,5m

41

32

78

1011

6

5

9

NhB

Bnh Chnh

HcMn

Go Vap

Tn Bnh

Tn Ph

Bnh Thnh

Ph Nhun

Th c

Bnh Tn

12

M5

CausesofClimateChange -TheGreenhouseEffect

EARTH

.

.

ATMOSPHERE

Solarradiation pas-

se s th ro u g h th e a t-

mosphere. Asigni-

cant portionof solar

radiationis absorbed

by theEarths surface

andwarms it.

Someradiationis re-

ectedby theEarths

su r face a n d th e a t-

mosphere.

Th e E a r th ssu r fa ceradiatestheheat back

out towardsspace.

Greenhousegases in

theatmosphere trap

a p o r ti o n o f th e h e a t

a n d le a d s to r i sing

temperatures.

This gurebrieyexplains theGreenhouseEffect, causingGlobalWarmingandClimateChange.

AdaptedfromtheEuropeanCommission28

M1

Risingtemperatures leadt o

themelting of glaciers, theex-

pansionof theoceans, tosea-

levelriseandtothe increasing

likelihoodof tropicalstorms

andheavy rainfallevents.

.

.

.

.

.

.

-.

Water ChannelsConstruct water channels tocollect and discharge rainwater.

.

.

F l oo d in g O v er h ea t in g Pollution

MobilityConstraints

Damage

Loss

HealthConstraints

InstabilityofStructures

Inundation

MosquitoPlague

Soiling

ProblemTreeTheProblemTreetoolhighlights theunderlyingproblems andtheireffectsonthecommunity.

Step 1-Assessment:ClimateChangeImpactsand related Problems

CommunityofHCMC, District4, Ward 8, Sub Ward 2

T3

exposure portfolio, as well as to civil society

organizations and local governmental institu-tions which can support adaptation processeswithin their own spheres of inuence.Hereby, we would like to thank the local govern-ment of District 4, Ward 8, and all members of

enda Vietnam for their invaluable support.

Nevertheless, this project could not have been

possible without the spirit and enthusiasm ofthe model community; to them we wish to ex-press our heartfelt appreciation and our since-

rest thanks.

How to read this Handbook

Climate Change -The Global Perspective

Ho Chi Minh City -

and its Vulnerability

Community-Based Adaptation -

A Local-Level Approach

Do it yourself -

Low-Tech Adaptation Measures

Do it yourself -

Participatory Tools

The handbook is divided up into ve parts: The

1st part summarizes the causes and drivers ofclimate change from a global perspective, whe-reas the 2nd part highlights the impacts on Ho

Chi Minh City and on precarious settlements

in particular. In the 3rd part, community-based

adaptation is presented as one feasible ap-

proach to respond to climate stimuli, outlining

the set-up, implementation and results of ourmodel project. Part 4 gives instructions to sti-

mulate adaptation processes in other commu-

nities and lists measures which can be easilyimplemented. Parts 1 to 4 contain materials for

capacity-building and awareness-raising; allassessment, decision-making and evaluation

tools used in the model project are compiledand prepared for individual use in part 5.

1

2

3

4

5


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Causes of Climate Change - The Greenhouse Effect

EARTH

.

ATMOSPHERE

Solar radiation passes

through the atmosphe-re. A signicant portionof solar radiation is ab-

sorbed by the Earths

surface and warms it.

Some radiation is reected bythe Earths surface and the at-

mosphere.

The Earths surface ra-

diates this heat back

out towards space.

However, greenhousegases (GHGs) presentin the atmosphere trap

a portion of this reec-ted heat leading to ri-

sing temperatures and

global warming.

The Greenhouse Effect is mainly responsible for global warming and climate change.

This gure briey explains the process.

Adapted from European Commission1

M1

Global warming leads to the mel-ting of glaciers, to the expansion

of the oceans, to sea-level rise

and to changes in climate, incre-

asing likelihood of tropical storms

and heavy rainfall events.

1

2

3

4

5

Part1


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CO2Carbon Dioxide CH

4Methane

Use of fossiland other fuels

Deforestation

Productionof cement

N2O Dinitrogen

Monoxide*

Use of fertilizers

Biomass burning

Use of fossil fuels

Production anduse of energy

Rice cultivation

Animalhusbandry

Alkyl Halides

Use of air conditioning,chemical industry

Production of

aluminium

Power lines

64%

20%

10%6%

Human Activities as Producers of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

In this gure selected human activities, causing signicant greenhouse gas emissions,

are summarized.

Adapted from the German Federal Agency for Civic Education2

M2

Part1

*Although the share of N2O in overall GHGs emissions is low,its impact as a driver of global warming is exceptionally high.


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Carbon Footprint

Most daily activities cause carbon emissions; in this gure you can see how much of this

greenhouse gas is emitted by different means of transportation, by food production andin production of everyday items.

To go 10km by...

car motorbike bus beef pork bread

100g of...

1 piece of...

plasticbottle

plasticbag can

recycledcan month year

1.0 - 5.0kg 0,9kg 0,4 - 0,8kg 1.3kg 0.3kg 0.6kg

0.4kg 0.2kg 0.2kg 0.01kg -0.5kg -6.0kg

Emitting Carbon Offsetting Carbon

1 tree per...

-+Sources: European Commission3, Planet Green4, Institute for Applied Ecology5, EEA6, Hope & Gibson7

M3

Part1

per person


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Part1

Waste Durability

wool sock

wood

aluminium can

plastic cup

glass

bottle

1 month

1 year

10 years

100 years

1000 years

If waste is not disposed of correctly, but dumped on roads and into drains, it will have

a long-lasting impact on your communitys environment. This gure shows examples ofdifferent kinds of waste and their durability.

Source: The Ocean Conservancy8lottery ticket

2000

2000

M4

plastic bottle

plastic bag


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HCMC is Vietnams largest urban agglome-

ration and of great importance for matters of

economic growth and modernization. The cityis the main target area of foreign direct invest-

ment and attracts great numbers of migrants

from rural areasseeking jobs and a better li-

ving standard; current projections show thatthe population of HCMC will reach 10 millionpeople by 20209.

As a result, large parts of the city have become

built-up in the course of rapid and uncontrolledurbanization. A great number of precarioussettlements have also evolved around the citys

outskirts or on vacant land in the city centre, in

low-lying areas and alongside canals, beingcharacterized by severe infrastructure short-comings and the lack of urban services10.

HCMC ranks amongst the cities most vulnera-ble to the impacts of climate change; the me-

tropolis is exposed to climatic extremes, the

increasing likelihood of severe storms and ti-

dal ooding11.As 72% of HCMCs urban area lies below twometres above the current mean sea-level, it

is exceptionally at risk by inundation causedby changes in sea-level rise12. Currently, the

reach of tidal inuence into the urban canalscauses periodic ooding events in adjacentareas. In addition, heavy rainfall events are in-

creasing in number and intensity.

Besides ooding events related to climatechange and sea-level rise, HCMC is affected

by rising temperatures; the annual average

temperature of the urban area is 26.9C. How-ever, the annual average temperature has

increased at a rate nearly double that of the

surrounding Mekong Delta region in the recentpast13 and will further rise by 1 - 2C till 205014;this is due to the escalating heat production

from air conditioning units, transportation and

industry as well as due to the on-going surfacesealing, which reduces vegetation cover andnatural cooling areas.

The gure on the adjacent page shows a oo-ding scenario for the year 2050 for the current

urban extent of HCMC, taking into account a

projected sea-level rise of 1.5m15. It highlights

all built-up and non built-up areas which willbe at risk by future inundation caused by rising

sea levels.

For more information take a look at our website:www.megacity-hcmc.org

Ho Chi Minh City and its Vulnerability to Climate Change

Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is the countrys main driver of growth and economic

development. Being situated in a low-lying delta region, the city is vulnerable toimpacts of climate change, such as sea-level rise, tidal ooding and overheating.

Part2


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Non built-up area

Built-up area

River and canal network

Inundation due to sea-level rise

Flooding Scenario for 2050

taking into account a projected

sea-level rise of 1.5m

41

32

78

1011

65

9

Nh B

Bnh Chnh

Hc Mn

Go Vap

Tn Bnh

Tn Ph

Bnh Thnh

Ph Nhun

Th c

Bnh Tn

12

M5

Source: Megacity Research Project TP. HoChi Minh (2010): Research Results fromAction Field 1, STORCH, H.; DOWNES, N.and RUJNER, H.

1 District


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The vulnerability of a community or a neigh-

bourhood is dependent on a wide range of fac-tors. Vulnerability can be sub-classied into so-cial, economic and physical vulnerabilities16.

Settlements located in the direct proximity to

the Sai Gon River and to urban canals arehighly prone to ooding, caused by high tideor heavy rainfall events.

Where housing areas have evolved sponta-

neously and without adequate infrastructure

provision, a sufcient drainage system and inthe absence of solid waste collection, oodingevents may not only cause mobility constraints,

damage to buildings, the loss of resources and

The Vulnerability of Precarious Settlements

income, but may also lead to an environmental

crisis having a serious impact on health and

hygiene.

In many cases, unplanned areas face the im-

pact of overheating. Here, the already rising

temperatures are aggravated by the high den-

sity of housing which prevents natural ventila-tion, together with the high degree of groundsealing and the general lack of vegetation.

Dwelling units, constructed from non-durablematerials and on undeveloped land, are alsovulnerable to extreme climate events and

ground instability17.

The vulnerability of settlements related to their

location may be further heightened by endan-

gered and unstable income generating activi-

ties, the lack of access to credit facilities for

adaptation and rehabilitation, weak communitystructures or the lack of awareness18 regardingclimate change, its causes and impacts.

Nevertheless, the issue of vulnerability can-

not be discussed without acknowledging thatlocal communities possess a range of indivi-

dual capacities and potentials to respond and

to tackle the underlying causes and drivers ofvulnerability.

Climate change vulnerability is the susceptibility to loss, damage, disturbance or

injury from climate change impacts. Precarious settlements are particularly vul-nerable to overheating and ood events due to their density and their location in

low-lying, ood-prone areas and because of the often limited capacities of theirinhabitants to respond.

Part2

Settlement along canal, HCMC


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Successful adaptation efforts have to be un-

dertaken from the national to the local level19,

they require the linking of indigenous know-ledge and practices provided by communities

with the projections and adaptation researchof the wider scientic community as well as toa supportive policy environment.

All communities cope with and adapt to cli-matic or environmental changes; while copingstrategies may be temporary or emergency

solutions in times of difculty or hardship, ad-aptation signies permanent changes in live-lihood systems20 and therefore strives to be

more sustainable.

CBA enables local communities to strengthen

their own existing adaptive capacity and tobuild resilient livelihoods, to reduce their indi-

vidual vulnerability and disaster risk21, 22. CBAcombines long-term strategies, such as struc-

tural adaptation and livelihood diversication,with short- and medium term strategies, suchas temporary migration, the setting up of war-ning systems and evacuation plans.

Local communities know their area very well;

they have the capacity to assess the local im-pacts of climate change on a day-to-day ba-

Community-Based Adaptation

sis and to nd individual solutions to respond.In order to avoid the affects of maladaptation,

they need to be provided with further informati-on on climate change impacts and on existing

larger-scale adaptation plans.

In CBA processes, communities have full con-

trol over assessments, planning and the im-

plementation of adaptation measures; they

also play a vital role in awareness raising bysharing their local site knowledge. They can

be assisted signicantly by civil society orga-nizations and the local government, who canprovide information, capacity-building, adapta-

tion and community mobilization activities.

Adaptation is the response to current or projected future changes in climate - from

the national to the local level. Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) enables vul-nerable communities to build resilient livelihoods and to take action within their

living environment and their own sphere of inuence using their own resourcesand capacities.

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Community workshop


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The CBA Model Project

District 4 is situated south of the city centre,

enclosed between the Sai Gon River, the BenNghe Canal and the Te Canal. Ward 8 of District

4 is regularly affected by ood events, causedby high tide and heavy rainfall. The ward isdivided up into four blocks; while the majorityof the inhabitants of block 1 and 2 have more

stable jobs generating a higher income and

reside in spacious houses with clear alleys,the narrow houses and small alleys of blocks 3

and 4 are occupied by low-income householdsengaged in small-scale businesses.

The CBA model project aimed at facilitating the

local community to develop small-scale adap-

tation strategies. The set-up followed the ac-tion planning approach, holding the view thatindividuals and communities, even with limitedresources, are capable of improving their living

environment, while integrating outsiders asdisseminators, catalysts or facilitators. The key

component of the model project were commu-nity workshops, combining expert inputs andcommunity activities.

Preparatory PhaseIn the preparatory phase, representatives of

the community, the local government and the

NGO enda Vietnam xed the setting of themodel project. Climate change impacts wereassessed as well as the local capacities and

resources to respond.

1st Workshop (March 2010)The 1st Community Workshop, involving all

interested community members of Block 2, fo-

cused on awareness-raising of climate changeand its impacts on the community.

The assessments revealed that oodingcaused by heavy rainfall events and high tide

In order to initiate community-based adaptation processes in HCMC, a model pro-

ject was carried out in a local community of District 4, Ward 8. In a series ofworkshops, the community assessed the impacts of climate change on their livingenvironment, discussed various options for adaptation and implemented the mostfeasible measures.

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art3

Distribution of environmentally friendly carrier bags


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are notably aggravated by the inadequacy of

the drainage system, the blocking of drains aswell as by landll projects undertaken in ad-joining areas. As a reason for heat stress, the

lack of vegetation was identied.

2nd Workshop (May 2010)The 2nd Community Workshop addressed ca-

pacity-building for low-tech adaptation. The ap-plicability of presented small-scale measures

were discussed in small groups. In a plenarysession, the measures to be collectively imple-

mented were selected: The growing of plantsby the roadside, on balconies or rooftops in or-

der to benet from the cooling effect of shadeand evapo-transpiration, the initiation of was-te management activities to avoid the litteringand blocking of drains and the cleaning up of

living spaces to allow for natural ventilation.

Implementation Phase

Following the 2nd Workshop, the chosen ad-aptation measures and strategies were imple-mented within a xed timeframe.

3rd Workshop (July 2010)The 3rd Community Workshop focused on the

evaluation of initial adaptation activities. Besi-

des the implemented measures, the commu-

nity started to save energy and to utilize re-usable environmentally friendly carrier bags

instead of the previously used plastic bags in

order to avoid the littering drains. Moreover,

the community members actively engaged

in awareness raising activities in the marketplace and amidst neighbours. The rst multi-

plier effects were initiated by integrating newcommunity groups into the workshops and bysharing knowledge and experiences.

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art3

Hazard mapping Community workshop


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What you needA meeting room or placePaper, pencils, optionally a microphoneTime for workshops (in the evening, once amonth, can vary)

PreparationRead this handbook attentively. Does yourcommunity face problems related to clima-

te change? Find additional information in

newspapers, in radio or tv programmes.Approach the local government, in order toobtain backing for your activities, and civil

society organizations (NGOs) for practicalassistance.

Exchange your experiences of climatechange impacts with your neighbours.

Appoint a moderator for the workshops.

1st Community WorkshopCarry out a rst workshop with your neigh-bours, local government representatives and

a civil society organization.Raise awareness about climate change and

its impacts. Use the materials , and .Compile historical events related to environ-

Do it yourself! - Your individual Adaptation Process

This section is dedicated to civil society organizations and local governmental in-

stitutions, but rst and foremost to communities who wish to reduce their vulnera-bility to climate change impacts. On the following pages, useful tools, tested in theCBA Model Project, are summarized in order to guide and support your activities.

mental and climate change which have affec-ted your neighbourhood. Integrate especially

the elderly community members into the dis-

cussion. Use tool .

Assess the impacts of climate change on yourcommunity by drawing a hazard map and l-ling out a seasonal calendar. Use tool as

exemplar.

Discuss the interrelation of climate changeand the problems faced by your community.

Summarize the results in tool .How has your community responded to theproblems faced? Register your ndings intool .

M1 M5

T1

T2

T3

T4

M2

Part4

Community workshop, panel session


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2nd Community Workshop

Set-up a second workshop about one month after the rst.Begin with a summary of the ndings of therst workshop.Raise awareness about individual carbonfootprints and waste durability; initiate a dis-cussion on waste reduction and manage-ment. Use the materials and M4.

Continue with a presentation on low-tech ad-aptation measures. You may use the materi-

als and .

Discuss the adaptation measures in smal-ler groups. Which measures do you already

implement, which are within or beyond yourcapacity, which can you imagine to imple-

ment and which additional measures cometo mind? Present your ndings to the othergroups in a small panel session. Use tool .

Subsequently, all members should be re-quested to place on paper the measures heor she would be willing to implement. Thepapers shall be evaluated by the moderator

and the measures should be ordered fromthe highest to the lowest priority. Use tool .Fix a manageable timeframe for the imple-mentation of the chosen measures.

Implementation PhaseImplement the chosen measures and stra-

tegies within the timeframe. Document youractivities with the help of photographs.

3rd Workshop - Evaluation

Arrange a third workshop following the implementation phase.Discuss your communitys consumer be-haviour and waste management. Can thepurchase of plastic be avoided in order to

reduce the individual carbon footprint and to

minimize the waste production? Use tool to

monitor and reduce your consumption.Answer the following questions: What hasbeen positive or negative? Are you satisedwith the results? Has everyone participated?Use tool for your review.Invite further neighbours who have not yetparticipated in the workshops. Present yourproject and share your knowledge on climatechange and adaptation. Support their initiati-

ve to set-up their own activities.Continue with the workshops in order to carryforward the adaptation process.

M6 M7

T5

T6

T7

T8

M3

Community workshop, group discussion


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Low-Tech Adaptation Measures - Responses to Flooding

Temporary Water StorageBuild storage for rainwater to re-

duce ood levels.

Early Warning SystemAppoint people for weather observation, war-

ning and securing of resources.

Roof Securing + RepairRepair leaking roofs.

Evacuation RoutesIdentify safe paths out to evacuate

the most affected areas.

Waste Management

Do not litter drains; insteadcollect waste in bins.

Water BarriersInstall water barriers in front

of your doors.

Elevation of Ground Floors

Elevate the ground-oor perma-nently or temporarily.

Water ChannelsConstruct water channels tocollect and discharge rainwater.

Roof Projections

Construct roof projections toprotect facades from rain.

M6

Even if you are not able to inuence the occurrence of

heavy rainfall events or tidal ooding, you may still beable to reduce their impact on your home and on yourneighbourhood by implementing some of these simple

measures23.

Part4


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C

Cooling - Pot PlantsGrow pot plants to benet from the coo-

ling effect of evapo-transpiration.

Low-Tech Adaptation Measures - Responses to Overheating

C

C

Shading - Climbing Plants

Grow climbing plants on your outsidewalls to benet from shade.

Preserve Vegetation and Reduce Ground SealingPreserve existing vegetation for its shading and cooling functions. Additionally,

unsealed surfaces act as inltration areas and help to reduce ooding.

Natural Ventilation

Allow for natural ventilation inyour home.

Light MaterialsUse light materials to increase

the reection of the sunlight.

Shading ElementsInstall shading elements in front of win-

dows to reduce direct sunlight.

M7

The annual average temperature of HCMC is rising; you

can adapt with these simple measures, helping you toreduce the heat stress and to increase the liveability ofyour neighbourhood24.

Shading Elements

Install shading elements over walkwaysto reduce direct sunlight.

Shading - TreesGrow trees to benet from their shade andfrom the cooling effect of evapo-transpiration.

Part4

C C

CCC


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Year Historical Events Location

1922 Houses on stilts as common building type

1963 Reduction of the rice cultivation area in several wards Wards 5, 6, 8, 91962/63 Destruction of several houses by re Wards 5, 6, 8, 91963/65 Reconstruction of houses Wards 5, 6, 8, 9

Before

1968

Destruction of natural environment and houses by reand conict

Ward 8, Block 1

1970 Construction of a new road in order to respond to incre-asing trafc volumes

1973 Installation of an 110V electrical power line

Before1975

Accessability of canals and river by boats; natural vege-tation: cork and guava trees

Ward 8

1980 Canal lling, disappearance of houses on stilts Ward 8, Block 41985 Installation of tap water supply

1991/93 Canal lling for new housing areas during a housingland crisis

Ward 8, Blocks

3, 4

Before1996

Construction of several alleys in order to respond toincreasing trafc volumes

Ward 8, Blocks1, 3, 4

1997 Relocation of inhabitants due to re incident Ward 8, Block 41997 Filling of a canal for road construction2000 Destruction of the market by re

2002/03 Installation of the rst culvert along the river

2004/05 Highest ooding level marked following heavy rain2008 Flooding events aggravated by highway construction

Step 1 - Assessment: Historical Prole

Community of HCMC, District 4, Ward 8, Sub Ward 2

In order to understand the recent history of their neighbourhood, the community mem-

bers have summarized past events, shocks and stresses in a Historical Prole.

T1

Part5


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Your Community

Year Historical Events Location

Summarize past events, shocks and stresses specic to your community (with the helpof elderly community members) and compile them in the table below.

Part5


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.HONGDIU

Alleyno.129FBV

Alleyno.129F/121BV

Alleyno.129F/123/9BV

HM129F/123/3BV

H

M243AHD

BNVN

N

0,20 m 0,20 m

1m 1m 0,3m 0,3m 0,3m 0,3m 0,3m

VAN DON

Secondary

School

0,20 mA 0,35 m

Hazard MapA Hazard Map has been drawn on the basis of a cadastral plan; roads and houses affec-ted by ooding due to high tide and heavy rainfall events have been marked as well asaggravating factors such as blocked drains and solid waste dumps.

TransectThe section below has been generated, in order to highlight low-lying and most affectedareas.

Step 1 - Assessment: Mapping


Flooding due to high tide

Flooding due to heavy rain

Inadequate drainage system

Solid wasteSewer

T2

AA


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Months /

Hazards1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Flood due tohigh tides

Flood due toheavy rainfalls

Seasonal CalendarIn this table, the community of District 4, Ward 8 highlighted the occurence and intensi-

ty of ooding events.

slightly slightly

heavily

Months /

Hazards1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Your Hazard Map and TransectOrganize a cadastral plan or (if not available) sketch the roads, alleys and buildings be-longing to your neighbourhood on a large sheet of paper. Mark the areas, houses and

roads regularly affected by the impacts of climate change, for example ooding. Distin-guish between different kinds of impacts and / or degrees of severity. Include factorsaggravating the situation.

If ooding is a problem, on the basis of your hazard map you can draft a transect, show-

ing the low-lying areas and ood levels.

Your Communitys Seasonal CalendarMark the hazards or events affecting your community; distinguish between different de-grees of intensity: slight / moderate / heavy.

Your Community

Part5


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Flooding Overheating Pollution

Mobility

Constraints

Damage

Loss

HealthConstraints

Instability ofStructures

Inundation

MosquitoPlague

Soiling

Problem TreeThe Problem Tree tool helps to highlight the underlying problems and their affects to your

community.

Step 1 - Assessment: Climate Change Impacts and related Problems


T3

Part5


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Your Problem TreeNote down the underlying problems at the roots of the tree (the root problems) and theimpacts faced by your community on the tree branches. Discuss the interrelationships

between the different causes and impacts felt.

Your Community

Part5


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Impacts Problems faced by the Community

Women Men

Flooding due to high tidesand heavy rainfall events

Inundation of ground oorsInstability of walls due towater penetration

Leaking roofs Health constraints

Bad odor from sewers Bad odor from sewersMobility constraints Mosquito plague

Sellers face difculties todisplay their goods / Lossof income

Soiling of motorbikes

Impacts Communitys Response

Women Men

Flooding due to high tidesand heavy rain events

Elevation of ground oor Elevation of ground oorsConstruction of elevated

platform as safe storage

areas for valuables

Petitions for drainage

cleaning sent to authorities

Bailing of water during oo-ding events

Cleaning of streets and

alleys after ooding eventUsing planks as bridges in

order to push motorbikes

Mobilization of householdsto dredge sewers

Impacts on the Community

The Communitys Response

Impacts and ResponseIn focus group discussions, the underlying problems, the prevailing impacts and the res-

ponses were collected according to gender.

Step 1 - Assessment: Impacts and Response


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Part5


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Impacts Problems faced by your Community

Women Men

Impacts Your Communitys ResponseWomen Men

Impacts on your Community

Your Communitys Response

Impacts faced by your Community and your Communitys ResponseDiscuss the problems, such as ooding or overheating, and their resultant impacts onyour community. Afterwards, summarize your personal or your communitys response tothese impacts. Men and women should discuss in separate groups, as their impressions,problems and responses might be different. Come together at the end for a joint discus-

sion and compare the results. Note down the ndings and make them visible for all.

Your Community

Part5

St 2 A ti Pl i L l C iti T5


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Low-Tech Measures within the Communitys Capacity

Measures and Activities

Mitigation

Reduction of energy consumption: Reduction in air conditio-ning (if unnecessary)

Reduction of plastic item consumption (high carbon footprint)

Heat Reduction

Growing of plants / trees in front of every house; growing ofvines on balconies

Re-arrangement of interiors and opening of windows in orderto allow for natural ventilation inside individual houses

Waste Reduction

(in order to avoid thelittering and blocking

of drains)

Utilization of re-usable hand baskets for shopping at markets,re-use of plastic bags

Participation in private waste collection, payment of fees

Sorting of waste at home, separate organic waste (food) andinorganic waste (plastic, glass)

The Communitys Capacity to Adapt to Climate ChangeIn smaller groups, the community members discussed the various adaptation measuredsummarized on pages 16 and 17. They decided which measures were within or outsidetheir capacities, which measures could be implemented separately and which collec-tively.

Step 2 - Action Planning: Local Capacities


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Your Communitys Capacity to Adapt to Climate ChangeDiscuss your capacities and resources available to adapt to the impacts of climatechange. Which measures are beyond your capacities and resources? Summarize mea-sures which seem feasible for your communitys specic situation. Decide which measu-re can be implemented individually and which need to be carried out collectively.

Low-Tech Measures within your Communitys Capacity

Your Community

Your Measures and Activities

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Selection of Adaptation MeasuresEvery community member noted down the adaptation measures he or she is willingand able to implement. Subsequently, the workshop moderator counted out the votesopenly and the ranking list was displayed.

Adaptation Measures Number of Community Mem-bers (agreed)

Reduction in plastic bag use 13 persons

Reduction of energy consumption 11 persons

Growing of plants and trees 22 persons

Utilization of hand basket 18 persons

Sorting of waste at home 8 persons

Payment of waste collection fees 6 personsOpening of windows 1 person

Promotion / Awareness Raising 1 person

Avoidance of littering 1 person

Plan for Implementation

The community members xed a timeframe for the implementation of the adaptationmeasures.

Adaptation Measures Timeframe

Utilization of hand baskets for shopping

from May 18th 2010 onwards

Reduction of plastic bag use

Sorting of waste at home

Reduction of energy consumptionGrowing of trees and plants

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Your Communitys Adaptation MeasuresEvery community member shall note down the adaptation measures he or she is willingand able to implement on a sheet of paper. The moderators shall then evaluate these

proposals and note down the adaptation measures in a ranking list, starting with theones most preferred.

Adaptation Measures Number of Community Mem-bers (agreed)

Plan for Implementation

After chosing adaptation measures, x a binding but manageable timeframe for theirimplementation.

Adaptation Measures Timeframe

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Step 3 - Implementation


Use of environmentallyfriendly carrier bags

Growing of plants in front ofexterior walls

Implementation of MeasuresThe community of District 4, Ward 8 implemented their chosen measures.

Growing of pot plants

Growing of pot plantsStreet view

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Implementation of MeasuresCarry out your chosen activities and implement the scheduled structural or environmen-

tal measures. Take photographs for documentation.

Your Community

Growing of climbing plants onaccess balconies

Growing of plants in front ofwindows

Development of green spacesfor recreation

Creation of roof gardensCreation of green facadesCreation of roof gardens

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

1 2 3

plasticbottles

4 5

plasticbags

6

7

plastictoys

8 9 10 11

plasticcups

12 13

14 15 16 17

plastictoys

18 19 20

21 22

plasticbags

23 24 25

plasticbags

26 27

28 29 30

plastic

bottle

Plastic Items purchased June 2010

Monitoring Card: Reducing Plastic ConsumptionAll households of the pilot community were provided with a monitoring card, in which allmembers were asked to note down the plastic items purchased on a day-to-day basis.This tool was introduced in order to support the community in controlling and reducingtheir plastic consumption.

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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Your Monitoring Card: Reducing your Plastic ConsumptionIn order to reduce your plastic consumption, note down the plastic items purchasedin the monitoring card every day. Discuss with your family, household and communitymembers, which items have been bought unnecessarily. Continue the record keepingand try to avoid their additional purchase in the following months.

Plastic Items purchased / Month / Year

y

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p


What has changed in your behaviour?

Garbage is collected and sorted at the household level in order to improve the envi-ronmental condition of the neighbourhood and in order to avoid the littering or even

blocking of the drainage system.

Electronic devices and lights are switched off, when they are not in use, in order toreduce overall energy consumption.

Environmentally friendly and re-usable carrier bags are utilized for shopping in order

to reduce waste production.The consumption of plastic items has been reduced.

Do you want to share any experiences? Do you have any remarks?

The green, conspicuous carrier bags, distributed by enda Vietnam are recognized byshopkeepers and sellers at markets. This gives the community members the opportu-

nity to inform on the CBA model project, on climate change and the necessity to keepthe environment clean and to reduce plastic consumption.

It was found more efcient to use one big bag instead of many plastic bags.It was suggested that the distribution of the shopping bags shall be expanded to otherblocks and wards.

The growing of plants in public open spaces, along the roadside and on balconies

increases the attractiveness of the neighbourhood and provides a welcoming atmos-phere.

Review: Opinions and Experiences

The 3rd Community Workshop was set up in order to evaluate the initial adaptationefforts and to maximize the rst multiplier effects, e.g. the sharing of knowledge and ex-periences with other community groups and the initiation of further activities. The tablesbelow summarize a range of opinions and experiences the community of District 4, Ward8 wanted to share.

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Review: Your Opinions and Experiences

Use the questions below to share your opinions and experiences with your community.Highlight positive aspects but be honest and do not hesitate to bring up negative impres-

sions, too, as a starting point for the improvement of the overall process.

What has changed in your behaviour?

Are you satised with the measures and their impacts? If not, why not?

Has everyone participated? If not, why not?

Do you want to share any experiences? Do you have any remarks?Part5


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Encouragement and Concluding Remarks

ding due to sea-level rise, or overheating dueto rising temperatures may not be addressed

effectively. If a community is heavily endange-

red by inundation, only the migration to a safer

site will bring about the needed change to theirsituation.

CBA activities might be pertubed and even nul-

lied by larger scale developments; in order tobe sustainable, small-scale, community-based

initiatives therefore need to be integrated into

the overall planning procedures.

Nevertheless, take courage, be proactive and

make the rst move to initiate your own CBA

project in your neighbourhood!And of course, we want to learn from your ex-perience. We wish to hear from you. For anyfeedback, comments or project reports please

contact the Megacity Research Project TP. Ho

Chi Minh or enda Vietnam.

We wish you a lot of success!

At this point, we would like to summarize a va-riety of ndings from the CBA model project,in order to encourage vulnerable communities,

civil society organizations and local govern-mental institutions to start an adaptation initia-

tive by themselves.

At the starting point of an adaptation project,

it may seem that the objective of adaptationto climate change and vulnerability reduction

is out of reach. The experiences with the com-munity of District 4, Ward 8, have proved, that

local communities may have limited resources

for structural adaptation, but they possess in-

digenous knowledge as a basic component of

CBA; they have the ability to assess the localimpacts of climate change, to organize work-shops, to communicate with civil society orga-nizations and the local government.Of course, we cannot conceal that the CBA ap-proach has to rise to various challenges: Locallevel activities are limited in scale and scope;

major impacts of climate change, such as oo-


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1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION (n.d.): The Green-house Effect. (URL: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/si-tes/campaign/pdf/greenhouse_effects_en.pdf ret-

rieved Feb. 2011).2 GERMAN FEDERAL AGENCY FOR CIVIC EDU-CATION (n.d.): Klima-Killer (URL: http://www.bpb.de/popup/popup_grafstat.html?url_guid=79PP5C

retrieved Feb. 2011).3 EUROPEAN COMMISSION (n.d.): Climatechange. What can you do to ght it? (URL: http://ec.europa.eu/clima/sites/campaign/pdf/ppt3-no-

tes-en.pdf retrieved Feb. 2011).4 PLANET GREEN (2009): The Mysterious CarbonFootprint of Packaging. (URL: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/tech-transport/mysterious-carbon-

footprint-packaging.html retrieved Mar. 2011).5 FRITSCHE, U. R.; EBERLE, U.; WIEGMANN,K. and SCHMIDT, K. (2007): Treibhausgasemis-sionen durch Erzeugung und Verarbeitung vonLebensmitteln. Institute for Applied Ecology (URL:http://www.oeko.de retrieved Mar. 2011).6 EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY (2008):Climate for a Transport Change. ISSN 17259177(URL: http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2008_1 retrieved Mar. 2011).

7 HOPE, A. and GIBSON, J. (2008): Carbon Dioxi-de Offsetting for Conferences. (URL: http://www.nzsses.auckland.ac.nz/conference/2008/papers/Hope-Gibson.pdf retrieved Mar. 2011).

References and Photo Credits

8 THE OCEAN CONSERVANCY (2005): PocketGuide to Marine Debris. (URL: http://www.cobsea.org/cleanupeas/docs/ICC_PocketGuide_EN.pdfretrieved Mar. 2011).

9 HO BA THAM (2009): Urbanization for Ho ChiMinh City in the Future: Forecasting Cultural andSocial Challenges and Opportunities. HCMC Ins-

titute of Development Studies, Conference Paper(URL: http://www.eastwestcenter.org/leadmin/re-sources/seminars/Urbanization_Seminar/HCMC_Workshop/Additional_Materials/Urbanization_for_HCMC_in_the_Future__Dr._Ho_Ba_Tham.pdfretrieved Feb. 2011).

10 WUST, S.; BOLAY, J.-C. and THAI THI NGOCDU (2002): Metropolization and the ecological cri-

sis: precarious settlements in Ho Chi Minh City, Vi-etnam. In: Environment and Urbanization (2002),No. 14, pp. 211-224.

11 ADB Asian Development Bank (2010): Ho ChiMinh City - Adaptation to Climate Change. Sum-

mary Report, ISBN: 9789715618939, Manila, ThePhilippines.

12 STORCH, H.; DOWNES, N.; KATZSCHNER, L.and NGUYEN XUAN THINH (2010): Building Re-silience to Climate Change through Adaptive Land

Use Planning: The Case of Ho Chi Minh City. In:Zimmermann, K.O. and Zimmermann, M. (Eds.)Resilient Cities; Berlin: Springer.

13 ADB Asian Development Bank (2010): ibid.


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14 BOOTH, T. H.; NGUYEN HOANG NGHIA;KIRSCHBAUM, M. U. F.; HACKETT, C. and JOVA-NOVIC, T. (1999): Assessing Possible Impacts ofClimate Change on Species Important for Forestryin Vietnam. In: Climatic Change (1999), No. 41, pp109-126, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

15 MEGACITY RESEARCH PROJECT TP. HO CHI

MINH (2010): Research Results from Action Field1, Work Package 1, STORCH, H.; DOWNES, N.and RUJNER, H.

16 WISNER, B.; BLAIKIE, P.; CANNON, T. and DA-VIS, I. (2004): At Risk. Natural Hazards, PeoplesVulnerability and Disasters. Second Edition. ISBN

9780415252164, Routledge, London, UK.17 WUST, S.; BOLAY, J.-C. and THAI THI NGOCDU (2002): ibid.18 DAVIS, I.; HAGHEBAERT, B. and PEPPIATT, D.(2004): Social Vulnerability and Capacity Analysis.Paper, ProVention Project (URL: http://www.pro-ventionconsortium.org/themes/default/pdfs/VCA_

ws04.pdf. retrieved Feb. 2011).

19 IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate

Change (2007): Climate Change 2007: SynthesisReport. (URL: http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/syr/ar4_syr.pdf retrieved Nov. 2010).

20 DAVIES, S. (2009): Are Coping Strategies aCop-Out? In: Schipper, E. L. F. & Burton, I. (Eds.)(2009): The Earthscan Reader on Adaptation to Cli-mate Change, pp 99-116, Earthscan, UK & USA.

21 BAAS, S. and RAMASAMY, S. (2007): ImprovedAdaptive Capacity to Climate Change for Sustai-

nable Livelihoods in the Agriculture Sector. Foodand Agriculture Organization of the United Na-tions, UNDP (URL: http://www.fao.org/nr/clim/abst/clim_080303_en.htm retrieved Feb. 2011).22 CARE INTERNATIONAL (2010): Framework of

Milestones and Indicators for Community-BasedAdaptation. (URL: http://www.careclimatechange.org/les/toolkit/CBA_Framework.pdf retrievedSept. 2010).23 MEGACITY RESEARCH PROJECT TP. HOCHI MINH (2010): Research Results from ActionField 2, Work Packages 7 and 8, ECKERT, R. andSCHINKEL, U.24 MEGACITY RESEARCH PROJECT TP. HO CHIMINH (2010): ibid.

Photos

ENDA VIETNAM:Community Workshops, Pages 12 and 13 (left)Project Implementation, Pages 30 and 31.

MEGACITY RESEARCH PROJECT TP. HO CHIMINH; ECKERT, R.:Settlement along canal (HCMC), Page 10.

MEGACITY RESEARCH PROJECT TP. HO CHIMINH; SCHINKEL, U.:Canal Settlement, Title

Community Workshops, Pages 11, 13 (right), 14, 15.


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Megacity Research Project TP. Ho Chi MinhBrandenburg University of Technology Cottbus

[email protected]

enda Vietnamwww.endavn.org.vn

2011 Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus

ISBN 978-3-00-034353-7

Documents

How to Respond to Climate Change Impacts in Urban Areas E-Paper