Project Detail

Developing a model in applying technologies to reduce vulnerabilities and to increase adaptive capacity in addressing natural disasters/extreme weather (flash flood and droughts) in Cam Tam Commune, Cam Thuy District, Thanh Hoa Province

The project ?Developing a model in applying technologies to reduce vulnerabilities and to increase adaptive capacity in addressing natural disasters/extreme weather (flash flood and droughts) in Cam Tam Commune, Cam Thuy District, Thanh Hoa Province? aims to strengthen the preservation and sustainable use of natural resources to reduce impacts of droughts and flash flood on agricultural production at Cam Tam Commune. Cam Tam Commune is a poor and typical commune of the midland mountainous area of Thanh Hoa in terms of topography, soil conditions, social custom, culture and agricultural practices. This project has been derived from the real need of the local community and being in line with the socio-economics objectives and programmes of Cam Tam Commune and Cam Thuy District respective People?s Committees.

Specific objectives of the project:
1) To promote the awareness and understanding of the local government authorities and inhabitants on the impacts of climate change on local sustainable development;
2) To build a model for applying scientific-technological advances so as to limit damages caused by droughts and flash floods through reinforced protection and sustainable use of water resources, land and agricultural biodiversity;

Major activities:

1. Develop and implement an awareness-raising programme on the threats of climate change through community-level communication activities.
2. Design and test flash flood limiting model applying freuch drains forming 45o angles with contour lines to create vegetation (8 hectares).
3. Build a water reservoir dam;
4. Establish rainwater-harvesting model at household level to address shortage of water supply for domestic and production use.
5. Experiment rotating farming model using suitable droughts-toleranct varieties; Restore and develop 1-2 endemic drought-tolerant mountainous rice varieties that have been lost.
6. Monitor and distil lessons learnt from the models, research and make recommendations to the local government;

Major outcomes:
i. The awareness and understanding of related partners on the impacts of climate change and adaptation measures enhanced;

ii. Model of protecting and using sustainably water resources (harvesting and storage of surface water and rainwater) successfully established, with 30 households provided with support to build (or improve) water-harvesting 50 m3 tank to supply water for domestic and agricultural production use.

iii. The model of conserving and using land resources and biodiversity sustainably successfully established (with 20 ha of rice-planting land established on a model at Areas 1 and 2 of the commune with drought-resistant varieties and an appropriate rotating scheme to increase crop productivity and minimise risks and difficulties potentially caused by droughts, 1-2 endemic mountainous rice varieties restored and developed; 8hectares of flash-limiting model tested; 10-12 training courses and workshops organized with 500 participants;

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Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Irrigation Association of Thanh Hoa province

Country:

Viet nam

Area Of Work:

Community Based Adaptation

Operational Phase:

OP4 - Y3 (Jul 09 - Jun 10)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 2,468.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 35,000.00

Project Number:

CBA/VN/SPA/08/003

Start Date:

10/2009

End Date:

4/2012

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

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Project Characteristics and Results

Capacity - Building Component

- 03 talks and communication on climate change and best practices for 150 participants. The content of the talk is also integrated in the mass social activities. - 02 training courses for 100 people on the technical and process related to the project (for household based tank model: summary of the project, construction engineering and management processes swimming pool). - 02 workshops of model assessment and experiences sharing - Organizing study tour to model of water storage by using twisted pump in Yen Bai on 3/2011 and to household based tank model in Lao Cai for nearly 20 people in the project.

Replication of project activities

- A lot of households plant KB1 sweet potato varieties. - The other local people can also learn from this model of contour ditches in Cam Tam (Cam Chau) - The documents and contents of meetings, etc. on the project was broadcast on mass media to encourage households not participating in the project to study.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

- Cam Thuy has 1857.07ha area of land, of which 296ha of agricultural land, 1126 hectares of forests, and 429.07 hectares of land for non-agricultural and other usage. - Resources forests are exploited hardly and depleted. Social topography of the basin, mostly hilly, very prone to flash floods, erosion, landslides (3-5 times / year) - The average income of 4.6 million VND / person / year. Commune livelihood mainly is from agriculture (88%), the rest is from service trades and labor export. Rice yield reached 46.4 kg / ha in the plains and 16-30 kg / ha in the hills (upland rice) - The conditions of agricultural production depends entirely on rain water, streams and small water storage dams. - There are 3451 people, 41% are women, 37.1% of the population are of working age. Muong people account for 93% of the population, the rest are the Kinh - The poverty rate is 38.1%

Policy Influence

- Results and evaluation of the project influence to the local disaster management program and agricultural production - 3-4 relevant recommendations on the proposed policy in addressing drought and floods. Adaptation action framework of social is built and accepted

Project sustainability

- The technical knowledge and people have been mastered through training and practice, so they will still be able to use the knowledge, skills and wider spread for many people around even when the project ended. - The program also enhances the capacity of local technical staff (extension officers, village officials) for the technical direction of farming model. The direct participation of the functional departments and local authorities to help manage and promote the achievements of the project (the plant was successful research, planning and farming techniques, etc. ..) is more effective - The irrigation system (contour ditches, dams) and tank system after construction will also be used to provide long-term effectiveness for local community

Notable Community Participation

The project focused on the participation of the community. In the process of project design, project carried out a survey to consult on the most urgent needs and solutions to solve the problem of drought and floods for the livelihood of the community action. In the course of project implementation, the project facilitates community participation in all activities of the project. The investigation, survey, plan, and policy recommendations apply community based methods. Community has the project results. Projects disseminate information about the project to the community through the local mass media, meetings, training, seminars, and other communication materials of the project. Community are active participants in the preliminary assessment and final evaluation of the project

Project Results

The project has tested 3 adaptive measures, including (1) micro watershed management (building contour ditches and forest planting to minimize the impact of flash flood; (2) rain water harvesting technology; and (3) selecting the drought tolerant varieties for agricultural crops. The project results are as below.

Transferring rainwater harvesting technology: 20 participating households, 25 tanks built, containing 460m3 of water, meeting real needs of participating households in dry season. 2 rainwater technologies are applied, providing the choice for the local community in rainwater harvesting. The community in the project area has built 39 tanks from their own investment.
? Micro watershed management: 3.714 km contour ditches are built. 8ha of acacia trees with density of 2000 trees/ha planted upstream. Thanks to this system, there was no flash flood in the area (especially in Vot Village and Lau Village of Cam Tam Commune) even though there was very heavy rain and flooding in 2011 which caused heavy damage to Thanh Hoa province. In the downstream area, 8 hectares of cultivated land which used to be in unstable rice production due to damage of flash flood become a very profitable cultivated land. The project has successfully tested the sugar cane in this area instead of rice which bring a much better income for the community (the sugar cane with yield of 70 - 80 tons/ha, valued about 70 million VND/ ha (compared to 16 million VND/ha for rice before the project).
? Farming models: The project has tested 3 formulas so as to find out the suitable varieties for farmers coping with droughts and land degradation in a cultivated land of 26ha, in both irrigation and rain-fed areas. The results are that to identify the varieties for rice and other crops which have wide adaptability, high yield in both irrigation and rain-fed areas. Due to the prolonged droughts and unfavorable weather conditions during the project implementation, some tests completely failed and therefore, the result on this activity is rather limited. The prolonged drought and very high temperature in 2010 was the main cause of the failure of the project rice model. The drought in 2011 also affected the productivity of peanut and sweet potatoes in the project area. The heavy rain and the storm numbered 2, 3 and 4 in 2011, especially in storm numbered 2 on 24 Jun 2011 caused flooding and landslides. As a result, some small part of the contour ditches (34m) was eroded and a small area of sugar cane was also affected by the landslides.

Community adaptive capacity in the project area is significantly enhanced that is very strategic for effective application of adaptive measures. Community also has a better understanding and knowledge on CC issues, especially the real impact in their localities and the adaptive measures. Equipped with the technical adaptive measures, the participating farmers are now proactively coping with the flash flood and droughts.

The effective adaptive measures described above are documented in the project technical materials which will be reviewed by a technical board before providing to the local authority for wide dissemination.
The project has conducted surveys and workshops to develop a replication plan. Results show that flash flood and droughts are the key concerns in most upland communes. With the lessons learned in testing the project adaptation measures, testing the new technology in building the water tank provides lessons learned for designing a suitable type of water tank in the flooding areas. The contour ditches is also applicable in micro watershed, between farming households in upland areas, and effective in reducing damage of flash flood. A contour ditch applied in the model VACR will enhance the adaptive capacity in upland farming (note: VACR is very successful household farming model in Viet Nam (V- garden, A ? pond (fish), C - cage (pigs, animals), R ? forest). Therefore, the rainwater harvesting and the contour ditches are very potential to be replicated in the project area as well as other upland areas in the province.

In order for a successful replication and upscaling, it is very strategic in terms of mainstream and replicate the project results in the local programme through a local policy which support the replication of the project adaptation measures. Therefore, the project will recommend the relevant policy issues to the local authority after documentation of these adaptive techniques and lessons learned.

Results of the project final evaluation show that even though there is limited result with the agriculture models, the project has achieved most of the key objectives and expected results stated in the project document. The results of the project show that the project adaptation measures to flash flood and droughts are appropriate and effective, and therefore accepted by the local authority and community. The project adaptation measures are very suitable for Cam Tam commune in particular and the upland communes in general. Especially, in the context of unfavorable weather conditions during the project implementation, the project results have confirmed the effectiveness of the project adaptive measures to address CC impact in an upland commune.

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Biophysical

VRA1: Vulnerability to present climate change hazards 10

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