Integrative Urban and Environmental Planning Framework Adaptation to Global Climate Change

Transcription

1 Sustainable Strategies for Climate-Oriented Urban Structures, Energy- Efficient Housing Typologies and Comprehensive Environment Protection Megacity Conference April 1, 2009 Ho Chi Minh City Conference Report Report edited by Bernadett Hoppe, J. Miller Stevens

2 Megacity Conference, April 1, 2009, Ho Chi Minh City 2 Megacity Conference The Megacity Conference took place on Wednesday, April 1, 2009 at the Sub-Institute of Hydrometeorology and Environment of South Vietnam (SIHYMETE) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The individual speeches were held in Vietnamese and English; simultaneous translation was provided. Opening comments Mr. Stevens, the Facilitator, opened the Megacity Conference and welcomed all present. Following the presentation of the individual Work Packages in yesterday's Forum, today's conference will provide a certain view from the "outside" onto the megacity research project. He also pointed out that the Megacity Workshop "Green Technology Sustainability, Urban Planning and Building Design. Fostering German-Vietnamese Cooperation" will take place in the afternoon. Mr. Stevens welcomed the distinguished guests from the national ministries in Hanoi, Dr. Do Tu Lan from the Ministry of Construction and Dr. Pham Huyen from the Ministry of Science and Technology and Prof. Dr. Tran Thuc from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Official Welcoming Mr. Bao Thanh, Director of SIHYMETE Mr. Bao Tanh welcomed the participants and noted that today's conference includes experts from national and international institutions involved in the issues of climate change and urban development. Cities are the main source of greenhouse emissions and are most impacted by the effects of climate change; it is therefore appropriate that the megacity research project focuses on urban agglomerations. Introduction Dr. Do Tu Lan, MoC, Hanoi and Prof. Volker Martin, BTU Cottbus Prof. Volker Martin noted the dramatic impacts of climate change in HCMC. For example, it is estimated that the repair of infrastructure due to damaging effects of climate change will require 10 trillion Vietnamese Dong in the year The situation warrants the attention to the issues of climate change and urban development as foreseen in the research project. Dr. Do Tu Lan introduced the work of the Ministry of Construction and the MoC's Bureau for Urban Development founded in April of Both institutions collaborate with international partners, including the megacity research project, and strive for further cooperation. She pointed out that the Regional Development Plan for HCMC and eight surrounding provinces was just yesterday approved by the People's Committee of HCMC. With more than 3,000 kilometers of coastline and the low elevation of large regions, Vietnam is particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Taking the banks of rivers and canals into consideration, the coastline affected by sea level rise is actually more than thee times longer, approx. 11,000 kilometers. The sea level rise will therefore have a tremendous impact on agriculture and on the livelihoods of millions of Vietnamese. This situation points out the need for such research work as in the megacity project. Dr. Do Tu Lan thanked Prof. Martin for his efforts within the research project and extended her thanks to the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research for supporting the work of the project. Adapting Ho Chi Minh City to the Impacts of Climate Change Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Michael Schmidt and Prof. Volker Martin, BTU Cottbus Prof. Schmidt's speech positioned the megacity research project within the context of the international research on climate change. He noted that the research project's objectives the as-

3 Megacity Conference, April 1, 2009, Ho Chi Minh City 3 sessment of vulnerability and the development of adaptation measures are aligned with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). Since 1992 there has occurred within climate change research and policy making a transition from mitigation to adaptation. The Nairobi Work Programme focuses on impact and vulnerability assessment and the development of adaptation measures and actions. The structure of the megacity research project HCMC relates directly to the Nairobi Work Programme and extends from the macro level of the mega-urban region to the micro level of neighborhoods and households. The research project aims for the following results and outcomes: - gain and improvement of knowledge of impact and vulnerability assessment and of adaptation strategies on all spatial levels; - cooperation with all institutions involved in the issues of climate change and urban development; capacity building within the scientific community - ensure Vietnam's ability to identify and develop appropriate adaption strategies and measures. Research Programme: Future Megacities - Energy- and Climate-Efficient Structures in Urban Growth Centres Dr. Andrea Koch-Kraft, DLR - German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) Dr. Koch-Kraft introduced herself as the project manager for all ten megacity research projects. The German Federal Ministry is interested in megacities despite the fact that the largest urban agglomeration in Germany has only about 5 million inhabitants. The interest is due to the fact that the world population is becoming increasingly urban; by 2030 it is estimated that the population will increase by approx. 66%. In international comparison, the urban "hot spots" are particularly evident in Asia. will pose enormous problems not only for air pollution and health but also for the provision of drinking water and for waste water treatment. At the G8 meeting in Germany in 2007, the global concern for climate change was manifested and the need for increased cooperation with developing countries was noted. The German Federal Ministry received around 100 proposals for support within the megacity research programme. After the preliminary phase there are now only ten projects in the programme. In light of this, the megacity research project for HCMC can be viewed as successful already. In general the programme strives for identifying and developing good or best practices in sustainable urban development. Furthermore, it is seeks the decoupling of urban development from energy consumption. The transferability of the research results poses a major challenge. The HCMC project has strong cooperation structures and a large acceptance or "ownership" among the Vietnamese partners. The main challenge to the project is its complexity. Dr. Koch-Kraft noted that the research is proceeding in the right direction and that the work to date is quite promising. Vietnamese-German Scientific-Technological Cooperation in the field of Water and Environment Dr. Pham Huyen, MoST, Hanoi Dr. Pham Huyen began by noting the longstanding cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Currently, this cooperation encompasses the three main fields of research, management and biotechnology. A new field of cooperation is also research on water, its treatment, recycling and disposal. Such joint projects as well as the research in meteorology should be taken into consideration within the megacity project. Dr. Pham Huyen emphasized the importance of the current results of research to the people of Vietnam. In relation to climate change, roughly 78% of all CO 2 emissions occur in cities. Climate change

4 Megacity Conference, April 1, 2009, Ho Chi Minh City 4 Vietnam s National Target Programme to Respond to Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thuc, Director of MoNRE - Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment (IMHEN) Prof. Dr. Tran Thuc presented initially relevant data pertaining to climate change in Vietnam. For example, a temperature increase of 0.5 to 0.7 degrees Celcius can already be determined. It is estimated that the sea level has risen approximately 20 cm over the past 50 years. In addition, extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts are increasingly occurring. In light of these developments, the Vietnamese government proclaimed the National Target programme to Respond to Climate Change in December The programme promotes research on climate change and international cooperation. The work includes the formulation of response measures. The research goals and target dates of MoNRE coincide with those of the HCMC megacity research project, which is an excellent starting point cooperation. In the case of the sea level rise due to climate change, various scenarios will be developed by Furthermore, three scenarios will be developed on greenhouse emissions, ranging from high to low. It is anticipated that the mean temperature will rise by 1 to 2 degrees by 2050 and that the highest increase will occur in southern Vietnam. In can be concluded that the impacts of climate change will be strongest on the south. Regarding sea level rise, differentiated observations has been and are continuing to be conducted. In the past few years, the SLR has been roughly 3.2 mm annually which means the actual SLR is in the upper range of predictions. Measurements of SLR also have to take into consideration the thermal expansion of water as temperatures increase. It is predicted that approx. 30,000 square kilometers of land in Vietnam will be under sea level is the sea level rises by the anticipated 1.0 m by the year Implementation of Adaptation Strategies - Funding and Project Management Prof. Detlef Kammeier, World Bank Advisor Prof. Kammeier indicate that his speech has a new content and title: Climate Change in Asia: Towards City Adaptation Strategies. He noted his own experience as an advisor to local governments in Vietnam on environmental mangement. Prof. Kammeier praised the speed of the Vietnamese government and ministries in responding to national and global challenges. He also noted the general lack of experience globally in implementing climate change adaptation strategies. It is therefore imperative that administrative fragmentation be overcome. In view of the detrimental effects of climate change extreme weather events, flooding, storm surges etc. the need to develop appropriate strategies is quite evident. There is as well a congruence of impact in that major cities are often located in river delta regions, as is the case in HCMC. Prof. Kammeier referred to historical examples of urban development responding to natural catastrophes such as sea level rise. One instrument of adaptation is flood plain zoning. Prof. Kammeier referred to the recent publications by Earthscan and a Dutch group ( The latter notes the high costs of infrastructure to deal with sea level rise. 10:50-11:15 a.m. Coffee break

5 Megacity Conference, April 1, 2009, Ho Chi Minh City 5 Green Biz 2009 Green Business Solutions for Vietnam Ms. Katharina Kühn, European Chamber of Commerce, Vietnam Ms. Kühn noted the increased attention being paid to environmentally friendly technologies in Asia and in Vietnam. The EuroCham will be sponsoring a GreenBiz Conference in Hanoi in September of Integration of Climate Information into Urban Planning in Germany Mr. Jörn Welsch, Urban Climate Expert at Senate Department of Urban Development in Berlin, Germany Mr. Welsch presented the experience in environmental planning as practiced in Germany. In 1985 the first version of the environmental atlas (Umweltatlas) was developed. he noted that there are usually no laws regarding urban climate but that the German norm VDI 3787 and the current German Building Law do stipulate some standards relevant to climate. For example, the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) stipulated by the Building Law applies to the different scale of spatial planning. In concluding, Mr. Welsch noted the importance of total area mapping, on-demand studies and transparent methodologies in climate research. Local Climate Change - Urbanization and Flooding in Ho Chi Minh City Mr. Ho Long Phi, Technical Advisor HCMC Anti-Flood Program Management Centre, HCMC University of Technology (VTNM) Mr. Ho Long Phi reiterated the unavoidable necessity of urban development in low-lying, flood-prone areas, which requires in turn an adaptation response. In the meantime there is statistical conformation of rainfall increase due to urban heat islands cased by high density development. In addition to the much discussed sea level rise, it is important to note that the rivers and canals exhibit an even higher rate of water level rise: approx. 1.5 cm / year. Protection measures include drainage projects which entail enormous costs; it is estimated that 4 billion USD will be needed in HCMC alone. Based on case studies it can be concluded that conventional drainage techniques will not be sufficient to deal with the expected problems of flooding. Mr. Ho Long Phi pointed out that good planning must include measures for avoidance, protection and adaptation. Statement: Scientific & Administrative Cooperation with DoNRE Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Van, Head of Planning Department, DONRE HCMC Due to a short-term work appointment, Ms. Nguyen Thi Cam Van was not able to attend the Conference. Joint Research Objectives on Adaptation Strategies for HCMC Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoa, HCMC Institute for Development Studies Prof. Nguyen Trong Hoa introduced the newly founded HCMC Institute for Development Studies (IDS) and its role as the main partner for the megacity research project. From the standpoint of urban development and planning, the main impacts resulting from climate change induced flooding will be the lack of clean drinking water during flooding, the damage to infrastructure, the damage to housing structures and residential areas as well as waste water disposal. The current Master Plan will have to be adjusted to deal with such issues. Prof. Hoa noted that is impossible to reserve large areas of the city from development; the task is rather of learning how to deal with the impacts of climate change (i.e. adaptation). The conventional practice of grading and filling land will not be applicable in the future due to the high costs involved and the ineffectiveness of such methods in light of the larger problems of flooding and sea level rise. It is therefore necessary to develop a regional strategic approach to respond to the impacts of climate change. Possible solutions include the protection of open spaces within the

6 Megacity Conference, April 1, 2009, Ho Chi Minh City 6 city to capture and retain rain water and thereby avoid flooding. Prof. Hoa also pointed out that the Regional Development Plan was approved yesterday March 31, 2009 by the People's Committee. The RDP encompasses an area of approx. 30,000 square kilometers. It includes development corridors but also green corridors and areas for water cachement. Reserved zones to be protected from development include mangrove forests. One of the major problems associated with climate change impacts will be the relocation of persons displaced by flooding and sea level rise. This complex issue involves property rights, family histories etc. Concluding Statement Mr. Matthew Martin, COO HSBC Bank (Vietnam) Ltd. Mr. Martin's speech focused on the issue of sustainability. The HSBC Bank practices socalled corporate sustainability ranging from the operation of the bank's building stock to its lending policies. The risk to the environment are increasingly viewed as a risk to the corporate reputation. Mr. Martin noted that the world population and energy needs will double by the year One of the major problems will be the lack of drinking water. The major risk is doing nothing in response to the impacts of climate change; the major task is therefore to develop appropriate responses and actions. This often involves market-oriented issues such as water and electricity consumption. Mr. Martin noted that global markets are increasingly oriented to sustainability sectors and businesses involved in sustainable technologies. Analogous to HSBC's model character as a carbon-neutral bank, he foresees the potential for HCMC to become a model for adapting to climate change.