Mekong Urban Flood Resilience and Drainage Programme
Objective
The Programme helps to increase urban resilience against floods as well as protect people’s homes and sources of income.
Project Description
The programme aims to build on existing urban planning, disaster management, early warning systems, and climate change adaptation by exploiting synergies between these fields. This is achieved by cooperating with the national government and local authorities to update the national policy and provincial regulations as well as flood modelling and multi-hazard mapping, combining and integrating sectoral and thematic efforts of different organisations and donors active in the project areas. Improving cross-sectoral and institutional co-operation will set the framework for a more integrated urban flood management approach and help to implement the national legal and policy framework.
National Level – Legal and Policy Framework and Integrated Urban and Drainage Planning
Support in development of climate and flood risk sensitive national and local regulations, integrate flood risk management in urban planning and budget processes.
Provincial Regulatory Framework, Flood Risk Modelling and Analysis, and Urban Planning Support
Support in integrating climate change, flood management and early warning systems into the provincial socio-economic development plans for 2019 – the main planning instrument. This will help ensure that the issues regarding flood resilience become a part of government planning and budgeting at different levels of local government, which is essential for long-term sustainability.
Provincial Disaster Risk Management
Support the cities Long Xuyen, Rach Gia and Ca Mau to reduce the negative impacts of floods through the timely access to data on weather events and critical water level increases. The use of early warning systems will help reducing the costs and risks of flood events.
Field of intervention
Build on existing urban planning, disaster management, early warning systems, and climate change adaptation by exploiting synergies between these fields.
Multi-level approach: cooperating with the national government and local authorities to update the national policy and provincial regulations as well as flood modelling and multi-hazard mapping, combining and integrating sectoral and thematic efforts of different organisations and donors active in the project areas.
Stakeholder engagement: Improve cross-sectoral and institutional co-operation to set the framework for a more integrated urban flood management approach and help to implement the national legal and policy framework.
Targeted beneficiaries
Relevant ministries and agencies at national level
Local governments and departments
Urban population in the project areas
Achievements
Highlight activities:
Establish a national guideline on sustainable urban drainage system
Support in drafting the new Law on Urban Development and Management (UDA)
Updating Vietnam Standards TCVN 7957 and Building Code QCVN 01/2008
Support in developing Government Decree on the organisation of receiving and disbursement of international aid to respond to natural disasters in Vietnam
Support the Ministry of Planning and Investment update the Circular 05 on integrating climate change into the annual and five-year socio-economic development plan at national and provincial levels
Develop multi hazard risk assessment
Develop and scale up suitability mapping
Set up early warning systems for 3 cities
Review and update the local disaster response guidelines
Improve the communication-chain
Enhance regional information and data sharing
Develop the flood risk model in three cities: Ca Mau, Rach Gia, Long Xuyen
To build the capacity to operate the flood risk model in 3 cities
Prepare Drainage Master Plans for 3 cities Ca Mau, Rach Gia, Long Xuyen
Using hydraulic modelling to revise drainage master plans in climate change condition and sustainable urban drainage systems
Support the improvement of the national framework conditions for climate-sensitive IWRM and advance ecosystem-based solutions to prevent and reduce the impacts of climate and water related disasters at national and river basin scale.
Enhance our partners’ capacities to monitor and evaluate adaptation measures in water resources management.
Identify and recommend options to integrate and elevate climate finance in the Thai water sector.
Description
TGCP-Water aims to support the improvement of the national framework conditions for climate-sensitive Integrated Water Resources Management (climate-sensitive IWRM) and to advance Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) solutions to prevent and reduce the impacts of climate-induced disasters in the water sector. The project works with partners at national and river basin scale, especially the key water-related government agencies and the River Basin Committees (RBCs). TGCP-Water furthermore works towards strengthening its partners’ capacities to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation measures, incl. EbA, in water management and to identify best options, such as a tagging system or a water fund, to mobilize finance for climate change adaptation and to enable the Thai government to make climate risk informed investments in the water sector.
Field of intervention
Promote a climate-sensitive IWRM approach for Thailand to reach its national adaptation targets.
Advise on advancing climate resilience in the water resources management at national and river basin scale covering management, planning and implementation, as well as mechanisms for adaptation financing and monitoring.
Support institutional and planning processes to strengthen the River Basin Committees (RBCs) and to develop risk-informed River Basin Master Plans (RBMPs) that are based on multi-stakeholder dialogues and in line with the concept of climate-sensitive IWRM.
Value multi-stakeholder dialogues, joint selection and prioritization processes as well as awareness-raising activities as key success factors for a systematic climate-sensitive water management approach at river basin scale.
Demonstrate the benefits of “green” (nature-based) solutions as cost-effective and flexible option for climate change adaptation, which complement “grey” infrastructures measures
Tailor related guidelines and curricula for governmental and non-governmental stakeholders in the water sector to enhance nationwide outreach/scaling.
Targeted beneficiaries
Water-related government agencies, River Basin Committees, communities and other water users
Achievements
The joint development of a self-assessment tool for mainstreaming climate change adaptation (CCA) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the water sector as well as a policy dialog and the joint participation in the COP have strengthened the interagency cooperation between ONEP and ONWR. This cooperation will be continued with the development of a joint policy brief series that will provide the foundation for a climate resilient transformation of the water sector.
Two pilot sites the Yom and Sakaekrang river basin in the lower North and the western part of Thailand were selected for the implementation of project activities to support climate risk informed planning and the development of EbA measures. A participatory process taking into account the priorities of various stakeholders and the final results of assessments conducted in five river basins led to the selection.
A joint research partnership between ONWR and selected universities have been set-up to support the development of a digital solution-based Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) methodology to assess the impacts and benefits of EbA measures and provide scientific evidence on the important role ecosystems can play for climate resilient river basins.
Supporting the MRC with the Implementation of its Organisational Reform (II)
Objective
To improve the sustainable delivery of core management functions at the national and regional level in the Mekong basin.
Description
The Mekong River Commission (MRC) was established in 1995 with the mandate of managing the Mekong Basin in an integrated and sustainable way. In this work it received substantial support from international donors, including Germany.
Since then, economic growth in the region has accelerated and technical/personnel competencies and capacities have equally increased. A set of river basin management functions currently being fulfilled by the MRC Secretariat can now be taken on by the relevant national institutions in the member states, in line with the decision of the member states to achieve full ownership of the MRC by 2030.
This requires a comprehensive organisational reform process that defines the functions and tasks of the MRC as a river basin organisation, clarifies responsibilities, and coordinates and promotes their implementation at national and regional level.
Field of intervention
In order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the MRC in transboundary water management, GIZ is providing comprehensive advisory services on organisational development and decentralisation. The advisory services concentrate primarily on the development of the new structure for the MRC Secretariat; the decentralisation of functions to the member states; the introduction of a Basket Fund as a sustainable financing mechanism for MRC; the management of the restructuring of the secretariat in alignment with the reform aims; and the development and implementation of a consistent planning, monitoring and evaluation system.
The reform process is accompanied by an exchange of experiences with other river basin commissions, international organisations and other stakeholders in transboundary water management.
Achievements
A detailed implementation roadmap for the decentralisation and overall reform process has been developed with support from GIZ. The first decentralised functions, for example the monitoring of bodies of water or navigation safety, have been handed over to the member states. At the same time, the project is helping to strengthen the resources and capacities of the MRC Secretariat for all functions that remain centralised, such as flood forecasting, data acquisition and monitoring, modelling and assessment, planning support, and the implementation of MRC procedures. The new organisational structure has been implemented through a performance based recruitment process. The planning processes have been streamlined. A Basket Fund is now operational and the move to a new financial management and information system is ongoing. Options for the future working arrangements between the Secretariat and the line agencies in the four Member Countries are now being discussed.
Developing the capacities of governmental institutions (federal and provincial level)
Provide advisory services to the textile sector
enhance the textile industry to be more resilient regarding the climate change
Description
Overview: The programme aims at developing the capacities of governmental institutions to regulate the use of water resources and provide advisory services to the sector, e.g by showcasing the economic benefits of water efficiency measures for companies. In doing so, the efficient use of water resources of the textile industry is enhanced and resilience to climate-induced water scarcity strengthened.
Approach: The programme supports the federal and provincial government in the development, implementation and performance management of multi-stakeholder action plans and convening workshops, fostering capacity development to promote approaches enhancing the implementation of water efficiency measures and guidelines.
GIZ enables partners to adopt a comprehensive and effective approach to managing water risks and helps implementing the piloting measures agreed upon by the partners – governmental institutions, business associations and textile companies – by providing knowhow, capacity development solutions and the resources for implementing activities.
Field of intervention
Piloting Textile Companies
Sustainable Industrial Areas
Policy Implementation
Capacity Development
Targeted beneficiaries
Increase of water efficiency by 25% in piloting companies; a guideline for wastewater treatment and water efficiency is in place and ready to use; awareness of water related challenges in the public and private sector
Achievements
Water efficiency measures in companies
Change management team workshops
Networking for operators of industrial parks
Capacity development for the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)
