Project inception: Climate-proofing the urban poor of Vietnam

On 24 March, NDF participated in an inception workshop for the ADB-led project Sustainable and Resilient Urban Development. The project will take place in Vietnam and is co-financed by grants from NDF and the United States Agency for International Development. The Spanish consultancy company Eptisa has been selected to implement the project.
 
NDF’s co-financing is earmarked for developing guidelines for urban land use and low-cost resilient housing. At the workshop, the consultant shared experiences and projected outcomes for the NDF-financed component.
 
Through the development of local capacity, the project aims to make climate-resilient housing more accessible and affordable for potentially affected communities as well as improve the capacity of vulnerable communities to address disaster risk management and improve climate change resilience. The project will build on past experiences and lessons learnt from similar projects in the Philippines, Bangladesh and Indonesia.
 
A main goal of the project is to contribute to the design of a socially equitable and responsive National Urban Development Strategy for Vietnam. The strategy will be a central policy instrument to manage and guide urban development in partnership with local governments.
 
Vietnam has a high vulnerability to climate change impacts due to its 3,200 km coastline and low-lying coastal and delta areas. Since 1999, the country has faced eight major storms and one devastating flood, with central coastal regions and the Mekong delta being most severely impacted. Around 1.5 million houses have been partially destroyed.
 
With few opportunities to invest in secure housing outside of areas exposed to climate risks, the urban poor are among the most vulnerable to climate disasters.
 
The project began in December 2016 and is expected to be completed in November 2018.