Coping capacities for improving adaptation pathways for flood protection in Can Tho, Vietnam

Structuring Climate Adaptation through Multiple Perspectives: Framework and Case Study on Flood Risk Management

“…Based on these findings a framework has been developed to enable the structuring of climate adaptation challenges though taking a multiple perspective. The adaptation problem structuring framework (Figure 1) is based on: (i) a systems approach-the systems approach has been partially used where the urban area is considered as a system, i.e., "system as a whole" in order to understand the interactions and relationships [31,32]; (ii) existing climate adaptation framings that look at impacts, adaptation and vulnerabilities [22,62]; (iii) contemporary approaches that are prevalent in identifying and incorporating flexibility to adapt [37,42,43,60]; (iv) proactive analysis of implementation issues during adaptation [47]; and (v) inclusion of local context and integration with other planning processes [33]. To demonstrate the applicability of the framework a case study has been used: Can Tho, Vietnam.…”

“…The various adaptation measures collated across perspectives may be compatible. For example, from an analysis of the adaptation measures in some of the Deltas around the world (e.g., Ganges, Mekong, Chao Phraya, Rhine, Mississippi) at city and household scales [60,61,73] it may be concluded that: (i) the estimated functional life span of the city scale flood protection measures could be enhanced by including the coping measures that are practiced at the household level; (ii) consideration of coping capacities could be more effective in planning adaptive flood prevention measures such as spatial planning, where more extensive inundation could be accommodated in certain parts of the city.…”

“…These perspectives-engineering and social-put together, can therefore increase the range of drivers against which the acceptable performance is provided. The functional life span of the dikes can be increased as the concept of 'living with water' is embedded into the setting of performance thresholds for the larger scale infrastructure measures [60]. This, when considered together with the recorded household floor elevation measures [19], postpones the tipping point of dike elevation measures [60].…”

Adaptation to climate change in the Mekong River Basin: introduction to the special issue

“…The papers in this issue focus on four interrelated themes: (1) impacts of climate change and human interferences on water, nutrient, and sediment flows (Shrestha et al 2018); (2) climate change adaptation in urban centers (Radhakrishnan et al 2018;Pathirana, Radhakrishnan, Ashley, Nguyen, and Zevenbergen 2018;Pathirana, Radhakrishnan, Nguyen, and Zevenbergen 2018); (3) climate change adaptation in rural areas (Gong et al 2018;Gustafson et al 2018); and (4) transboundary river management .…”

Structuring Climate Adaptation through Multiple Perspectives

“…Although these measures originate from different perspectives, there is the possibility of synergies between the adaptation measures originating from the various multi-sectoral perspectives adopted in an urban environment [59]. Adaptive capacity and flexibility are likely to increase due to the synergy between the adaptation measures [60]. For example, many cities in developed countries across the globe such as Bangkok and Rotterdam are now exploring the opportunity to gradually adapt the urban fabric to flooding using on-going urban renewal activity [61].…”