United Nations University and Can Tho University organized and hosted the WISDOM Expert Meeting on Vulnerability and Adaptation Scenarios for Can Tho and Tra Vinh

On 07 October 2011 the United Nations University, Institute for Environment and Human Security in collaboration with Can Tho University organized and hosted the WISDOM Expert Meeting on Vulnerability and Adaptation Scenarios for Can Tho and Tra Vinh. The meeting had three main objectives:

• Presentation of the results of the vulnerability assessment for Can Tho, Dong Thap and Tra Vinh within the first phase of the WISDOM project (2007-2010) and joint discussion of these findings.


• Presentation of the research outline for the adaptation studies (notably with respect to climate change) in Can Tho, Dong Thap and Tra Vinh within the second phase of WISDOM (2011-2013). This included the discussion of this research outline as well as the discussion of other research needs perceived by local authorities and experts.


• Joint development and evaluation of scenarios for Can Tho’s and Tra Vinh’s future socio-economic development pathways under conditions of climate change. This exercise was directly geared towards the joint development of climate change adaptation strategies for Can Tho City.

Besides the vulnerability-related researchers of the WISDOM project, the group of roughly 30 participants included leaders from the planning departments in Can Tho and Tra Vinh as well as experts from Can Tho University, the Can Tho Institute for Sustainable Development, the Southern Institute for Sustainable Development, the Ho Chi Minh City Institute for Sustainable Development and other research institutes.

The workshop participants developed scenarios of potential socio-economic development pathways of Can Tho and Tra Vinh, especially geared towards the implications such pathways have on future vulnerability and adaptive capacity with respect to natural hazards and climate change impacts. The resulting scenarios are not only highly relevant for informing adaptation research but also as a planning tool for envisioning, debating and shaping future development in decision making and policy development. The resulting scenarios and methodological lessons learned are currently being summarised in short report which will be shared with the participants and published on the WISDOM website.