Building network of local demonstration projects and potential benefits to the Mekong River Basin

Transcription

1 Building network of local demonstration projects and potential benefits to the Mekong River Basin

2 What is Network and Networking? A network is an interconnected group or system of organizations, institutions or individuals that are consciously working together for a common set of goals and objectives. Networking is the process of interaction and association among a wide variety and composition of participants. In practice, usually networking is an organic process where the relationships and interactions of the participants are most important.

3 Do we really need to work together and set a network? Climate change is a hot, fashionable issue that everyone are trying to work with One big project or a network of many smaller ones? OUR project vs MY project Regional, National and Local: which priority is more important? 3

4 CCAI network & networking SEA START RC IWMI JIID National Partners MRC WWF ASEAN CCAI implementing partners core group Donor Partners MRC CCAI Techn. Partners Climate and hydrology group IWMI Sea START CSIRO ANU ICAM Others Natural systems assessment group Wetland Alliance WWF IUCN World Fish Others Socio-economic systems group OXFAM CARE GTZ SEI Others Experts & MPCC Potential CCAI technical collaboration ACIAR ADB/EOC FAO M-POWER UNDP UNEP UNESCAP ICIMOD IFRC (Red Cross) NARBO/NAHRIM SEAFDEC, ADPC UNISDR Donor technical experts Others

5 Initial idea of the Network of the Mekong CCA Demo-Projects: The four Local Demo-Projects in the Member Countries under the Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative (CCAI) 5

6 Some introduction to CCAI A collaborative regional initiative of Lower Mekong Basin countries aiming to support the countries in adapting to the impacts and new challenges of climate change through improved planning, implementation and learning Where: Lower Mekong Basin 4 Member Countries Involve the Upper Mekong partners: China and Myanmar CCAI Phasing: Long-term initiative (with three 5-years phases, up to 2025) Linked into the cycle MRC s Strategic Planning process

7 IWRM The Mekong CCAI is a cross-cutting initiative under IWRM umbrella in Mekong context

8 CCAI links the regional, national and local levels

9 Vietnam Demonstration Site Problems & issues: Biodiversity and ecosystems: Kien Giang biosphere reserve is one of the biggest in Vietnam and ASEAN region Highly exposed to combined impacts: flood from upstream and sea level rise, saline intrusion from downstream, forest fires Complicated hydrology of irrigation system of about 70 canals Socio-economic problems: high poverty with many ethnic groups Key activities: Assist provincial authority in addressing CC issue and developing the Provincial CC Action Plan under the NTP Impacts and vulnerability assessment at provincial and local level and organize community-based adaptation in action with local people, exploring indigenous knowledge & wisdom Support mainstreaming CC into provincial and local planning & decision making; Capacity building & awareness raising on CC and 9

10 A LOCAL UPSTREAM-DOWNSTREAM LINKAGES IN CONTEXT OF VIETNAM DEMO-PROJECT IN KIEN GIANG

11 Climate Change Adaptation Demonstration Site Champhone District of Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR To increase resilience and adaptive capacity of authorities and local community through the process of assessment, awareness raising, and introduction/implementation of adaptation options Key activities: Supporting capacity building training and climate change mainstreaming in local, provincial, and national planning and decision making process Conducting study of potential climate change impacts, risks and vulnerability assessment. Raising awareness of climate change and its impacts. Demonstrating implementation of adaptation options (e.g. flood tolerant rice varieties, hand-made irrigation) 11

12 Flood Resistance Rice Experiment in the target villages 12

13 Local demonstration site for climate change adaptation of agricultural-based sector Young River Basin, Thailand Key Activities: A set of recommendation on policy, planning and practice development on community-based climate change adaptation contributed to concerned agencies Review Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) policy and strategy in all level and explore opportunity to integrate the CCA into sectoral development policy Explore genuine facts of the local, existing coping strategy and agricultural adaptation practice response to CC Innovate the adopted climate information management system being use as tool for policy and planning process Prepare an evident-base as policy brief document and casestudy on community-based CCA and strategy for policy decision-making process. 13

14 Field Visit and Community Participatory 14

15 Cambodia Demonstration Site Problems & issues: Increasing risk of flood, drought & extreme climate events Key vulnerable sectors: Agricultural and Fisheries Key vulnerable groups: farmers and fishermen, children, elderly people, ethnic groups and women Significant decline in water table. (In some places, wells cannot be used for more than a year) Key activities: Assess the risks and impact of extreme climate events on socio-economic condition & people livelihood; Conduct community-based vulnerability & adaptation assessment at district level to develop local action plan Support in local planning and decision making, methods and tools; Capacity building & awareness raising on CC 15

16 Demonstration sites: the challenges Different geographical setting and scale, climate risk/vulnerability and corresponding climate adaptation options; Different capacity of national team and political system; Lack of common understanding on adaptation planning process and tools; Coordination and information sharing among national partners and line agencies; Communication and info-exchange: language and political and capacity barrier. 16

17 Other challenges How do we know/ ensure that we moving in the right direction? Do we need to rethink our approach and methods? How to use lessons and good practices form other region/partners to our project? Is there a miracle answer to all our questions: a PANACEA (medicine to all diseases) or cook-book recipe approach? A lesson from practice: Among 2,525 large- to medium-scale public irrigation schemes with 901,543 ha out of potential 2,327,024 ha from 13 provinces in Cambodia: ONLY 6% work well, 32% partially and 62% did not work. (Source: CEDAC, 2008) 17

18 Some Preliminary Lessons Focus down on relevant geographic and temporal scales Stakeholders engagement & Gender responsive approach are crucial Establish all brand new projects vs continue or rethink the existing/ on-going project. Start actions now: The practical process is as important as assessment, strategy & policies Be flexible and accommodate the emerging needs of local community 18

19 Potential benefits for the Mekong Providing a platform to share info & data, exchange experiences and lessons learnt Avoid overlaps and repeat duplication of works Avoid mal-adaptation and encourage innovation Facilitate replication and up-scaling of good practices throughout the region Providing practical platform for establishing and improving the Mekong Adaptation Strategy Supporting national frameworks and activities for CCA through different angles Enhancing the adaptive capacity of both local communities and national-local authorities

20 Ways Forward We need an Extended Network of country-lead together with collaborative demo-projects with core regional and national partners in LMB Riparianisation of the MRC need more riparian experts & collaboration within and outside MRC Mekong Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan supporting CCA national frameworks The Mekong Panel on Climate Change: (regional analogue of IPCC in Mekong region) would need to technically review the Network s outcomes Continuing learning and capacity building are crucial 20

21 Our Current Map of Adaptation Practices in the LMB What does our Mekong Dream Map look like? 21

22 Global Phenomenon Regional Collaboration Local Action Thank you! Mekong River Commission Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative http//: / kientmekong@gmail.com