Circular No. 08/2016/TT-BTNMT dated May 16, 2016 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment promulgating regulations on assessment of climate change impacts and national climate assessment

CIRCULAR

Promulgating regulations on assessment of climate change impacts and national climate assessment

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Pursuant to the Law on Hydro-meteorology dated November 23, 2015;

Pursuant to the Law on Environmental Protection dated June 23, 2014;

Pursuant to the Government’s Decree No. 21/2013/ND-CP dated March 04, 2013 promulgating the functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural resources and Environment;

At the request of the Director of the Department of Hydro-meteorology and Climate Change and the Director of the Department of Legal Affairs;

The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment hereby issues the Circular promulgating regulations on assessment of climate change impacts and national climate assessment.

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Circular prescribes in details the assessment of climate change impacts and national climate assessment in accordance with regulations in Clause 8, Article 33 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology.

Article 2. Subjects of application

This Circular applies to agencies, organizations, individuals involved in the assessment of climate change impacts and national climate assessment.

Article 3. Interpretation of terms

1. Climate change adaptation means the adjustment of natural and human systems to the new or changed environment, in order to reduce the vulnerability caused by climate change and take advantage of positive impacts brought about by climate change.

2. Climate change mitigation refers to activities aimed at reducing the level or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.

Article 4. Information and data for assessment

Information and data for the assessment of climate change impacts, assessment of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures and national climate assessment include:

1. Climate change scenarios recently announced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment at the time of assessment.

2. Statistical Yearbook.

3. Socio-economic development strategies, master plans and plans promulgated by the competent state agencies.

4. Information and data on hydro-meteorology and national climate change.

5. Relevant information and data provided by ministries, branches and localities.

Article 5. Assessment of climate change impacts

1. Assessment of climate change impacts includes the analysis and assessment of negative, positive, short-term and long-term impacts of climate change on natural disasters, natural resources, environment, ecosystems, living conditions, socio-economic activities, interdisciplinary, inter-regional and interdisciplinary issues which are specified in Clause 5, Article 33 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology in order to determine socio-economic targets, long-term goals of strategies, master plans and plans in the list of performing strategic environmental assessment. Contents of assessment shall comply with provisions in Clauses 2, 3, 4 and 5 of this Article.

2. The assessment of climate change impacts on natural disasters includes assessment of the range, intensity, frequency and anomalies of hydro-meteorology disasters.

3. The assessment of climate change impacts on natural resources includes assessment of impacts on water resources, land resources, forest resources, marine and island resources, minerals, energy, and biodiversity.

4. The assessment of climate change impacts on the environment and the ecosystems includes:

a) Changes in marine culture, hydrodynamics: waves, currents, tides, rising water, saline intrusion; coastal erosion and accretion;

b) Changes in surface water hydrology, underground water hydrology, inundation, flood, flash floods, landslides;

c) Meteorological and climatic changes: drought, harmful heat, cold, heavy rain;

d) Land changes due to erosion and accretion; land degradation due to desertification and saltwater intrusion;

dd) Terrestrial ecosystem, intertidal ecosystem, aquatic ecosystem and other ecosystems;

e) Other contents related to strategies, master plans and plans.

5. The assessment of climate change impacts on socio-economic activities and interdisciplinary, inter-regional and interdisciplinary issues includes the following contents:

a) Assessment of positive, negative, short-term and long-term impacts of climate change on socio-economic activities related to the scope of strategies, plans and plans;

b) Assessment of positive, negative, short-term and long-term impacts of climate change on inter-sector, inter-regional and cross-sector issues.

6. Order of assessment of climate change impacts:

a) Determination of the subject and scope of assessment;

b) Analysis and selection of assessment tools, assessment methods, assessment models and assessment indicators;

c) Assessment of climate change impacts on natural disasters, natural resources, environment, ecosystems in accordance with the contents specified in Clauses 2, 3 and 4, Article 5 of this Circular;

d) Assessment of climate change impacts on socio-economic activities and interdisciplinary, inter-regional and interdisciplinary issues in accordance with the contents specified in Clause 5, Article 5 of this Circular;

dd) Summary of assessment reports.

Article 6. Assessment of solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation

1. Strategies, master plans and plans in the list of performing strategic environmental assessment shall, during the development process, assess solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation as prescribed in Clause 2 and Clause 3 of this Article

2. Assessment of adaptation solutions to climate change:

a) The current situation of solutions to climate change adaptation in strategies, master plans and plans, including the analysis and assessment of advantages, disadvantages, causes and remedial solutions;

b) The effectiveness of climate change adaptation solutions on socio-economic activities in strategies, master plans and plans.

3. Assessment of climate change mitigation solutions:

a) The current situation of climate change mitigation solutions in strategies, master plans and plans, including the analysis and assessment of advantages, disadvantages, causes and remedial solutions;

b) The effectiveness of climate change mitigation solutions on socio-economic activities of sectors and localities in strategies, master plans, plans and the possibility of replication.

4. Order of assessment of climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions:

a) Analysis and selection of adaptation and mitigation solutions to climate change with assessment related to the scope of the strategy, master plan or plan;

b) Analysis and selection of assessment tools, assessment indicators and assessment methods;

c) Assessment of the current situation of adaptation and mitigation solutions to climate change related to the scope of the strategy, master plan and plan;

d) Assessment of the effectiveness of climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions on socio-economic activities of the sector and locality;

dd) Summary of assessment reports.

Article 7. National climate assessment

1. The contents of national climate assessment shall comply with regulations in Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology and specifically as follows:

a) Assessment of the contents specified at Point a, Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology, which includes: characteristics of Vietnam's climate up to the time of assessment; changes in temperature, rainfall, storms, tropical depressions, heavy rains, sea level rise, saltwater intrusion and extreme climate phenomena such as floods, flash floods, heat waves, droughts, extreme cold, and cold damage, hail, hoarfrost;

b) Assessment of the contents specified at Point b, Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology, which includes: assessment of fluctuations in climate factors, climate extremes, extreme climate phenomena; assessment of the degree of changes of climate factors and climate extremes; differences from the global climate average and the previous period's assessment report;

c) Assessment of the contents specified at Point c, Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of this Circular;

d) Assessment of the contents specified at Point d, Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology in accordance with the provisions of Article 6 of this Circular;

dd) Assessment of the contents specified at Point dd, Clause 1, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology, which includes: suitability of the climate change scenario compared with the actual climate changes in the assessment period; the extent to which climate change scenarios are used for climate change adaptation and mitigation activities during the assessment period.

2. The period of national climate assessment shall comply with regulations in Clause 2, Article 35 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology.

Article 8. Organization of implementation

1. Agencies tasked with formulating strategies, master plans and plans of ministries, branches and localities having to perform strategic environmental assessment shall be responsible for conducting assessment of climate change impacts and assessment of climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions in accordance with provisions in Article 5 and Article 6 of this Circular.

2. The results of assessment of climate change impacts, assessment of climate change adaptation and mitigation solutions shall be fully reflected in the strategic environmental impact assessment report of the strategy, master plan or plan in accordance with provisions in Clause 2, Article 37 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology. The appraisal shall be carried out in accordance with Clause 3, Article 37 of the Law on Hydro-meteorology.

3. The Department of Hydro-meteorology and Climate Change shall assist the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to conduct the national climate assessment in accordance with provisions in Article 7 of this Circular.

Article 9. Effect

This Circular takes effect from July 01, 2016.

Article 10. Implementation responsibilities

1. The Director of the Department of Hydro-meteorology and Climate Change shall be responsible for providing guidelines, urging and examining the implementation of this Circular.

2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, Chairpersons of municipal and provincial People's Committees and relevant agencies and organizations shall be responsible for the implementation of this Circular.

3. In the course of implementation, should any problems arise, they should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for consideration, amendment and supplementation./.

For the Minister

The Deputy Minister

Chu Pham Ngoc Hien