Adaptation Planning Framework to Climate Change for the Urban Environment in Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract

The overall objective is to develop and incorporate adaptation into urban decision-making and planning processes with designation criteria and zones that will lead to an increase of resilience to climate-related physical and social vulnerabilities of the urban system of HCMC. Climate Change will likely change current climate conditions and lead to an ongoing sea-level rise and increase in extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall and heat waves etc. These climate related events cause a multitude of potential impacts and risks not only to natural areas but specifically to populations of densely built up metropolitan areas. In foreseeable future they may also cause indirect negative effects such as severe urban floods or disturbances of the energy supply or public transport systems in urban areas. The main task of assessing climate change related impacts in urban areas is to estimate the possible damages that might arise for human-influenced systems by climate change, including extreme weather events. In general there are two elements that define the potential risk: first, the probability of the occurrence of the events and second the “elements” at risk. Events to be included are heat waves, heavy rain, floods etc. "Elements” at risk are not only assets like houses, urban infrastructure services or economic losses, but also human health and livelihood.