Approach

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FloodAdaptVN Approach

The main objective of FloodAdaptVN is to tackle identified research and knowledge gaps in the fast-developing, flood-prone areas of central Vietnam. This endeavor aims to support local authorities in crafting effective Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), risk transfer, and adaptation responses. To achieve this, FloodAdaptVN conducts assessments of current flood risk patterns, impacts, and future scenarios. Additionally, the project explores the viability of risk transfer mechanisms and ecosystem-based, as well as hybrid DRR and adaptation options, serving as complementary solutions to conventional, mostly structural measures.

To ensure that FloodAdaptVN produces actionable and policy-relevant outcomes and enables strengthening of existing and the development of new capacities, FloodAdaptVN builds on a participatory transdisciplinary co-development design between Vietnamese and German partners. Following the consultative process of the co-design approach in the Definition Phase, seven interrelated work packages (WPs, Figure 1) were defined, in which we plan to co-develop, apply, validate and implement the FloodAdaptVN approach together with all project partners and stakeholders.

Current flood risks and their associated impacts are being assessed, including an investigation of the impact-specific root causes/drivers of flood risk. Satellite imagery analysis, geospatial analysis and modelling are used to map past and current flood events, and to assess the exposure and vulnerability of assets, systems and sectors towards these floods. To enable preventive/adaptive planning, future flood risk scenarios (2030, 2050, and 2100) are simulated under environmental, climatic and societal change. Here we are benefiting from our preparatory work in the Definition Phase, for example by integrating data of installed climate stations or by applying simulation prototypes at larger regions and in greater detail.

Existing and planned flood risk reduction, risk transfer and adaptation solutions is being identified. This involves strategies and measures at national, regional, catchment, and city scale, and is serveing as a starting point for more detailed analyses at the neighbourhood and household level. Thereby, a particular focus is placed on risk transfer, hybrid and ecosystem-based solutions as part of an overall DRR and adaptation strategy.

Findings from above activities are contributing to the identification of additional DRR, risk transfer and adaptation measures demands and solutions as well as their evaluation against a set of criteria (e.g. protection targets, stakeholders’ preferences, cost-benefit ratios, social acceptance, possible mal-adaptive consequences) co-developed with relevant stakeholders.

Further, FloodAdaptVN is focusing on the integration of climate change concerns and DRR, risk transfer and adaptation measures, strategies and plans into the existing legislative and policy framework and administrative action/ planning culture. Capacity development and knowledge exchange (incl. practical training, E-Learning activities, etc.) accompany the entire process.

A framework of data management and exchange, as well as the utilization of cloud processing centres (e.g. Urban Thematic Exploitation Platform, DIAS) to ensure the sustainable processing capabilities of the local partners, completes our vision of the R&D Phase. The proposed flood information system (FRAME) combines capabilities of existing portals, e.g. the WISDOM information system or the CATCH-MEKONG Knowledge Hub.

Project Phases

The German-Vietnamese FloodAdaptVN cooperation started with a Preparation (10/2017-03/2018) and a Definition Phase (08/2019-03/2021), during which the research objectives were initially discussed and refined with local stakeholders. The project is currently in the stage of a Research and Development Phase (R&D) of 48 months (04/2021–03/2025), in which the initial approach is co-developed, refined, tested and finally applied and implemented with our local scientific contributors and stakeholders. A final Implementation phase aims for the practical implementation and/or transfer of the results to other cities or urban regions.

FloodAdaptVN Tools

Flood Risk Assessment

FloodAdaptVN is assessing past and current flood risk dynamics and hotspots and their associated impacts. This includes a joint investigation of the drivers of flood risk and how environmental conditions (land-use and land-cover, change analysis, topography, etc.), as well as socioeconomic and political factors, contribute to flood risk. Satellite imagery analysis, geospatial analysis and modeling are being used to map past and current flood events, and to evaluate the exposure and vulnerability of socio-ecological systems (SES) towards these floods as well as their impacts on different sectors (e.g. agriculture, economy, water quality, health).

Flood Modeling

In close collaboration with our Vietnamese scientific contributors and stakeholders, future flood risks are simulated combining future scenarios of flood hazards with future scenarios of exposure and vulnerability under environmental, climatic and societal change. Here we are benefiting from our preparatory work in the Definition Phase, for example by integrating data of installed climate stations or by applying simulation prototypes at larger regions and in greater detail.

Identification of Existing Measures

Existing flood risk reduction, risk transfer and adaptation solutions are being identified by FloodAdaptVN. This involves strategies and measures at national, regional, catchment, and city scale, and serve as a starting point for more detailed analyses at the neighborhood and household level. Thereby, a particular focus is placed on hybrid and ecosystem-based solutions as part of an overall risk reduction and adaptation strategy.

Evaluation of potentials for additional flood risk reduction, risk transfer and adaptation measures

FloodAdaptVN is also focusing on the integration of climate change concerns and flood risk reduction measures, strategies and plans into the existing legislative and policy framework. The intense exchange between German and Vietnamese scientific contributors is helping to identify both, existing barriers and opportunities for potential hybrid and ecosystem-based solutions. Capacity development and knowledge exchange between all contributing institutions accompany the process of understanding, analyzing current and simulating future flood risks. Planned activities include practical training on data handling and analysis, mainstreaming into development planning and international agendas as well as on-site workshops on regional best-practice examples of flood risk management.

Data management and exchange

A throughout framework of data management and exchange with the information system, as well as the utilization or remote processing centers (e.g. Urban Thematic Exploitation Platform (U-TEP) of the European Space Agency (ESA)) to ensure the sustainable processing capabilities of all FloodAdapt contributors and stakeholders, completes our vision of the FloodAdaptVN research project. We are convinced that collaborative co-design, co-development and co-dissemination of our findings work best with a common database, which allows exchange, contribution, validation and feedback by all involved scientific institutions (following the FAIR principles).