Donor / Partner:    |    Duration:  2008    |    Location: Vietnam

About: The rapid assessment undertaken by ICEM consisted of two separate steps:

• The modelling of sea level rise inundation zones from digital surface data; and
Socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability analysis through spatial overlays of the SLR inundation zone (with national GIS layers

One goal of the ICEM rapid impact and vulnerability assessment was to help set priorities for climate  change adaptation in Vietnam. The study is an initial step to fill the gap between global scale geospatial SLR inundation studies, which are limited in accuracy and detail for the use on the national level, and past  national studies that have not provided quantitative analysis of impacts on populations, sectors and  natural systems. The study provided explicit geospatial analysis that is crucial in focusing attention  on the most important locations and issues when planning for sea level rise. A second goal of the  study was to outline limitations that SLR assessments struggle to overcome. It provides some initial  rapid corrective steps. The study also proposes fields for further development to achieve more  reliable and detailed vulnerability and impact estimates over time periods that are relevant to  national planning.

The ICEM study was an initial contribution to priority setting for climate change adaptation under the  Government’s National Target Plan to Respond to Climate Change. In particular, a step towards  implementing the following fields of action identified in the NTP:

• Assessment of climate change impacts on sectors and regions;
• Development of actions plans to respond to climate change; and
Mainstreaming the NTP in strategies, plans, socio-economic development planning and other local or sectoral development plans.

The report is available for downloading from the ICEM publications page or by clicking here