Desktop Study on - Regional Climate Change Adaptation ...

<strong>Desktop</strong> <strong>Study</strong>
impacts and adaptation measures, share research
and coordinate to apply policy development within
the MoNRE and MARD. However, it is not strong
enough to deal with all task related to climate change
because of the staff capacity related with climate
change, so it may not be able to develop the National
Program on Climate Change within the MoNRE.
The International Cooperation Department helps
with the draft of the Framework of National Program
on Climate Change assessing about the status of Viet
Nam dealing with climate change. It is relevant for
the definition of the National Program because it
relates solutions and measures for mitigation and
adaptation.
Initial National Communication
Report to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC)
The Initial National Communication to the UNFCCC
(MoNRE, 2003), as a Party to the Convention, Viet
Nam has participated in many activities to implement
it and this First National Communication is one of
those activities, that has the financial and technical
support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)
and the UNEP. As it can be seen in the structure in
the following paragraph, it only explores climate
change impacts and necessary adaptation measures
in a preliminary and qualitative way; from the
assessment of the sectors described some adaptation
options were identified, but socioeconomic analysis
was excluded, and they have not been followed by
specific programs yet.
The Communication has 7 chapters. The first one
describes the general features of geographical,
climate and socio-economic conditions of Viet Nam
in 1994. Chapter 2 gives the results of the National
Greenhouse Gas Inventory done in 1994, and
estimated national greenhouse gas emissions to
2020. Chapter 3 is devoted to analyze of greenhouse
gases mitigation options in energy, agriculture and
forestry sectors. Assessment of the potential impacts
of climate change on some major economic activities
and response measures are developed in chapter
4. Next chapter describes the climate observation
and monitoring system and results of research into
climate change and tendency in Viet Nam. Chapter
6 is based on education, training and strengthening
of public awareness on climate change. Last chapter
gives the main orientation to mitigate greenhouse
gases through economic development plan of
energy, agriculture, and forestry sectors. Also, a list
of projects on climate change was also presented in
this Communication (MoNRE, 2003 and Chaudhry
and Ruysschaert, 2007).
The Second National Communication to UNFCCC,
which should be completed by the end of 2009, is
developing a policy framework for implementing
adaptation measures, and it goes more deep into
vulnerability and adaptation assessments.
Second National Communication to
the UNFCCC
The Government assigned MoNRE to be in charge to
be the National Focal Point, and the ICD has to provide
support to the ministry in the activities related with
UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Clean Development
Mechanisms. At the same time the MoNRE sets up
the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC),
whose main responsibility is to assist the Minister
with the activities that came up from the UNFCCC,
Kyoto and CDM. The NOCCOP has taken the lead with
the project “Viet Nam: Preparation of the Second
National Communication to the UNFCCC” (2006-
2009) with the support of UNEP/GEF. The areas
covered are: development of national greenhouse gas
inventories, identification of adaptation measures
to climate change and preparation of the Policy
Framework of implementing adaptation measures
for key socio-economic sectors and determination
of climate change mitigation measures (UNEP-SEI,
2009).
The National Target Program to
Respond to Climate Change
The Government of Viet Nam, aware of the
importance of climate change impacts, early ratified
the UNFCCC (November 16th, 1994) and the Kyoto
Protocol (September 2002). Since the UNFCCC and
the Kyoto Protocol were ratified the Government,
ministries, regions, etc. have launched some
projects to study climate change impacts and trends
focused on natural resources and socio-economic
development, as well as some adaptation measures.
The Government, considering that efforts still were
effectiveness for the urgency of response to climate
change risks, has requested (2007) to develop a
National Target Program to Respond to Climate
Change (NTP), focused on four specific sectors, which
are considered the most vulnerable: agriculture
and food security, water resources, public health,
and habitat, that has been approved by the Prime
Minister on 2nd December 2008.
As it is detailed in the NTP, there are five main guideline
principles that can be summarized into a response
to climate change carried out on the principle of
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