Integrating Ecosystem-based Approaches into Flood Risk Management for Adaptive and Sustainable Urban Development in Central Viet Nam
Background
Central Vietnam is experiencing rapid urbanization, particularly in small and medium-sized coastal cities. Concurrently, the region is grappling with increased precipitation and heavy rainfall due to climate change, combined with land use changes, leading to more frequent and intense flooding. In response, the FloodAdaptVN research project assesses flood risk reduction and adaptation measures, focusing on their impact reduction, cost-efficiency, and sustainability. The study area centers around the City of Huế and its hinterland in the Thua Thien Huế province.
Overall Aim and Objectives
The primary objective of FloodAdaptVN is to mitigate current and future flood risks by implementing targeted ecosystem-based adaptation strategies within the flood risk management frameworks in Central Vietnam. Specific objectives include:
- Gaining a better understanding and assessing drivers, spatial patterns (including hotspots), and dynamics of present-day and future flood risks (2030, 2050, 2100).
- Investigating entry points and barriers for the implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR), risk transfer (insurance), and adaptation solutions, with a strong focus on ecosystem-based approaches.
- Developing a decision support tool for risk-informed spatial planning and prioritization among different DRR, risk transfer, and adaptation measures.
- Fostering capacity development.
Project Structure
The FloodAdaptVN project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the “Sustainable Development of Urban Regions” (SURE) funding initiative, is currently in the Research and Development (R&D) phase of 48 months (04/2021 – 03/2025). The project’s initial approach, co-developed in a Definition phase (08/2019-03/2021), is being refined and applied with the collaboration of local scientific contributors and stakeholders.
The FloodAdaptVN Roadmap
Within the framework of FloodAdaptVN, the following key activities and solution concepts are being developed through a co-design approach to support local authorities in reducing current and future flood risks:
- Active involvement of local stakeholders in the development of research results and establishment of a stakeholder network for climate change adaptation.
- Analysis of present-day flood risk drivers, patterns, and dynamics through satellite Earth observation, hydrological modeling, and in-situ data.
- Modeling of future flood hazards under Representative Concentration (RCP) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios.
- Assessment of present-day exposure and vulnerability of people and infrastructure and development of future scenarios.
- Evaluation of existing and potential additional flood risk reduction, risk transfer, and adaptation measures.
- Assessment of the legislative and policy framework and integration of climate change adaptation and flood risk management measures into current planning practices.
- Integration of scientific data and knowledge from the local population and relevant actors into the planned flood information system (FRAME).
- Evaluation of climate risk insurance benefits, offering ways to transfer risks and reduce the impacts of hazards on the most vulnerable.
- Investment in capacity building and knowledge exchange among German and Vietnamese institutions.
Integrative, Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Research Design
Complex problem profiles require resourceful capacities and knowledge to engage them. The impetus of FloodAdaptVN is co-design and co-develop innovative ideas with our multiple internal and external stakeholders. In order to create actionable results that lead to sustainable solutions and the implementation of measures, a co-design approach with all relevant stakeholders from the initial project idea of FloodAdaptVN to the final implementation of the outcomes is our philosophy. The inter- and trans-disciplinary research design of FloodAdaptVN brings together methods and expertise in spatial planning, legal processes, policy making, satellite remote sensing, spatial data processing, flood modeling, climate change, geography, risk and hazard assessment, and more…
Open and Transparent Research
FloodAdapt VN commits to open and transparent research practices that follow the FAIR principles in order to make data and research results Findable, Accessible, Inter-operable and Reusable. Contact us for more details.
Contact
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Felix Bachofer (Project Lead)
German Aerospace Center (DLR),
Earth Observation Center (EOC), German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD)
82234 Wessling (Oberpfaffenhofen)
Germany
Email: felix.bachofer [at] dlr.de