UCR-CoP Newsletter: Edition 5 (2015)

UCR-CoP newsletter, October 2015
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Welcome to our October 2015 newsletter

Welcome to our October 2015 newsletter, which is issued in both English and Vietnamese. This edition updates us on the process of developing a City Resilience Index for Vietnam, and introduces us to fellow UCR-CoP member Ms. Lan Anh, Deputy Director of the Urban Development Agency (UDA). We will also get to know the Urban Resilience Challenge, What makes a city vulnerable to climate change and Oxfam’s “xe buyt di Paris” campaign.

Upcoming activities

The UCR-CoP shared calendar is the information center for our community of practice. Visit the calendar to learn about fellow members' activities and add your own activities, projects and events.

Monday 19 October to Wednesday 21 October 2015
Sixth Asia Pacific Urban Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia
(learn more)

Tuesday 27 October 2015
National workshop: Building Urban Climate Resilience in Can Tho, Vietnam (learn more)

Monday 30 November to Friday 11 December 2015
COP 21 in Paris (UNFCCC 21^st Conference of the Parties) (learn more)

Recent activity

Inception workshop: Developing a City Resilience Index for Vietnam: A number of our UCR-CoP colleagues participated in an Inception workshop on 4 September to discuss a new project to develop an Urban Climate Resilience Index for Vietnam. Supported by UDA, the Asia Foundation and ISET-Vietnam and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, the index will be built over the next year and tested in five Vietnamese cities before being expanded to other target areas. For more information please see Vietnam Plus (in English) and UCR-CoP blog (in Vietnamese).

Meet Ms. Lan Anh!

In each newsletter, we get to know a little more about one of our fellow members. Read on to meet Ms. Tran Thi Lan Anh, Deputy Director of the UDA.

News and discussion

Read on to check out the latest urban climate resilience news, including a new Urban Resilience Challenge, an article discusses What makes a city vulnerable to climate change and Oxfam’s “xe buyt di Paris” campaign to raise ambition and funding for adaptation at COP 21.

Member profile

Tran Thi Lan Anh, Deputy Director, Urban Development Agency (UDA), Ministry of Construction (MOC)

When did you join UDA/MOC and what does your role involve?
I have been with the UDA since 2008 – first as head of the Urban Management Division, and now as Vice Director of the UDA.
From 1990 to 2008, I worked for the Institute of Urban and Rural Planning, MOC. My job mainly focused on planning advisory and participating in developing legal documents and orientation on national urban development. I also worked as a member or manager of general planning projects and on more detailed planning for various urban areas in Vietnam, especially in Central Vietnam and the Central Highlands.

How did you become interested in the topic of urban climate resilience?
I first became interested in the sustainable development aspects of urban planning while working as a planning advisor. After the Government officially established a Steering Committee to respond to climate change (CC), I was assigned to monitor, manage and develop the urban system in Vietnam. I have a long-held interest in CC. Every year, the negative impacts from CC, floods and storms are increasing, and historically, many people’s lives have been taken by floods in Vietnam. These are just a few of the reasons for my interest in this field. I wish to develop timely solutions to respond to CC in urban areas.

What are some of the main activities or projects your organization is currently working on that relate to urban climate resilience?
MOC submitted to the Government an Urban Development Scheme to respond to CC in Vietnam. At the end of 2013, the Prime Minister approved the scheme for the period 2013-2020. It aims to enhance the effectiveness of planning, develop legal documents, and manage investments for urban development in the context of increasing risk from CC. It also aims to raise awareness and enhance coordination among Ministries, sectors and localities in operating and managing the urban development response to CC.
The MOC is continuing to coordinate with different levels of government on all aspects of the scheme. This includes working together on surveying and assessing the impact of climate change on urban systems; continually reviewing the plan, along with industrial development projects, infrastructure, new urban areas and new ports; strengthening the role of urban authorities in responding to CC, etc.
The MOC is also focused on improving the application and promotion of research, science and technology, and is collaborating with other relevant Ministries on this. One of our major projects is the Urban Climate Atlas, a database system and warning system that maps the risks of CC in urban areas.

Urban climate resilience news from around the world

Urban Resilience Challenge
Given $800,000 in funding and technical design assistance, how would you help urban slum communities build their climate resilience? If you have a big idea, get in now and enter the Urban Resilience Challenge created by OpenIDEO, Amplify and the Global Resilience Partnership. Read more…

Xe buyt di Paris
How will Southeast Asian voices be heard at the upcoming Paris climate talks? How can we raise ambition and commitment to funding adaptation in Southeast Asia? Oxfam is driving a virtual #xebuytdiparis to push for more adaptation funding. Read more…

What makes a city vulnerable in the face of climate change?
Water? Sand? Drought? Tropical storms? Bushfires? Sandstorms? This recent article from the Guardian explores the complex and varied vulnerabilities of major cities around the world. Read more…