Decision No. 1055/QD-TTg 2020 National Climate Change Adaptation Plan in 2021 - 2030

DECISION

Promulgating the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050^[1]

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to the Government’s Resolution No. 93/NQ-CP of October 31, 2016, approving the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

At the proposal of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment,

DECIDES:

Article 1.To promulgate together with this Decision the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050.

Article 2.This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing.

Article 3.Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies and government-attached agencies, chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees, and related agencies shall implement this Decision.-

For the Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister
TRINH DINH DUNG

NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION PLAN
FOR THE 2021-2030 PERIOD, WITH A VISION TOWARD 2050

(Promulgated together with the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 1055/QD-TTg
of July 20, 2020)

In furtherance of the Government’s Resolution No. 93/NQ-CP of October 31, 2016, approving the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Prime Minister promulgates the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050, with the following contents:

I. CONTEXT

Climate change is one of the biggest threats confronting the mankind with incrementally increasing impacts on a global scale. Vietnam is among the countries most affected by climate change. Over the past 50 years, the country’s average temperature has increased by around 0.62 degree Celsius; in the period from 1993 to 2014, the coastal sea level rose by 3.34 mm/year; and disasters were on the rise in terms of both intensity and frequency. Climate change is an existing threat to the country’s goals of sustainable development, hunger eradication and poverty reduction. Losses and damage will continue to escalate, prompting the need to take urgent actions to mitigate damage and enhance state management of climate change.

Being well aware of seriousness of climate change, nations around the world, Vietnam included, ratified the Paris Agreement on Climate Change at the 21^stConference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 21) in Paris in 2015, which came into force in 2016 (Paris Agreement). This is a global legal text binding all Parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, make financial contributions, transfer technologies, and build capacity, mostly through implementing the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). According to Article 7 of the Paris Agreement, the Parties to the Agreement have the responsibility to formulate and implement their national climate change adaptation plans. In 2015, Vietnam submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change the country’s NDC, consisting of a climate change adaptation component and a greenhouse gas emission reduction component.

Implementing Vietnam’s commitments, on October 31, 2016, the Government promulgated Resolution No. 93/NQ-CP approving the Paris Agreement the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and on October 28, 2016, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 2053/QD-TTg approving the Plan on implementation of the Paris Agreement, under which one of the tasks that needs to be performed in 2019 is to formulate a National Climate Change Adaptation Plan for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision toward 2050.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (below referred to as the Plan) is closely related to and consistent with the NDC. The NDC expresses the country’s commitments on greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change adaptation at a strategic level while the Plan concretizes the climate change adaptation component of the NDC and takes priority actions for the purpose of climate change adaptation. The implementation of the Plan will help effectively use resources, enhance financial and technical resource management and coordination, avoid overlaps, facilitate the participation of the community, business circle and international organizations in fulfillment of adaptation objectives in the NDC, and help Vietnam achieve sustainable development goals.

II. VIEWPOINTS AND OBJECTIVES

1. Viewpoints

a/ Requirements for climate change response and disaster prevention and control have an important position in development decisions.

b/ Climate change adaptation contents shall be integrated into relevant policies and the system of strategies and master plans.

c/ Climate change adaptation shall be associated with sustainable development, increase of resilience of natural and social systems and optimal use of opportunities brought about by climate change.

d/ To ensure the harmony of interests, and create a momentum to encourage related stakeholders to actively participate in climate change response, effective management, exploitation and use of natural resources, and environmental protection.

2. Objectives

a/ General objectives

The Plan aims to reduce vulnerability and risks to impacts of climate change through increasing resilience and adaptive capacity of communities, economic sectors and ecosystems; and to boost integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans.

b/ Specific objectives

- To improve the effectiveness of climate change adaptation through enhancing state management of climate change, including climate change adaptation activities, and boosting integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans.

- To increase resilience and adaptive capacity of communities, economic sectors and ecosystems through making investment in adaptation actions, science and technology and awareness improvement so as to get ready to make adjustments in response to climate changes.

- To reduce disaster risks, mitigate damage and get ready to respond to disasters and climate extremes increased due to climate change.

III. TASKS AND SOLUTIONS

The Plan specifies 3 groups of specific tasks and solutions to fulfill the above-said objectives, including:

1. Raising effectiveness of climate change adaptation through enhancing state management of climate change and boosting integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans

Climate change adaptation has been realized within the framework of the national strategy on climate change; national action plan on response to climate change, and action plans of ministries, sectors and localities; target programs on response to climate change; and schemes and projects of ministries, sectors, regions and localities and international cooperation projects.

It is necessary to enhance state management of climate change, improve policies and the system of strategies and master plans related to climate change and boost integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans so as to improve the effectiveness climate change adaptation. Specific tasks and solutions include:

a/ To formulate and improve the national legal framework on climate change. To implement activities and tasks serving the formulation of a Law on Climate Change on the basis of ensuring compliance with the law on promulgation of legal documents.

b/ To review, update and formulate socio-economic development master plans and sectoral master plans based on climate change scenarios and assessment of climate change impacts, especially for sectors and regions vulnerable to adverse impacts of climate change.

c/ To boost the integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans through formulating and issuing integration guidelines; to assess the integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans; to integrate climate change adaptation with disaster risk reduction.

d/ To carry out monitoring and evaluation to improve effectiveness of climate change adaptation, covering the issuance of sets of indicators for assessing climate risks; determining climate change adaptation projects and tasks; and evaluating the effectiveness of climate change adaptation activities and, on that basis, to establish and operate a system for monitoring and evaluation of climate change adaptation activities.

dd/ To step up adaptation actions which bring about co-benefits of disaster prevention and control and climate change risk reduction together with economic, social and environmental benefits; to periodically update climate change scenarios based on reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); to formulate scenarios on impacts, losses and damage of climate change to Vietnam; to establish and operate the national database on climate change and supportive tools for management and shaping of policies on climate change; to formulate mechanisms and policies, mobilize and distribute financial resources in order to promote and attract investment for climate change adaptation.

e/ To intensify international cooperation and perform obligations arising from the country’s accession to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change, including: assisting domestic agencies to build capacity to become accredited entities with the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and other funds; formulating and periodically updating the national report on climate change adaptation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; monitoring and evaluating effects of climate change response activities in the world on Vietnam, and determining solutions to mitigate impacts and make the best use of opportunities for socio-economic development.

2. Improving resilience and adaptive capacity of communities, economic sectors and ecosystems through investing in adaptation actions, science and technology and raising awareness to get ready to make adjustments in response to climate changes

This group of tasks shall be performed through improving natural systems, renovating infrastructure facilities of sectors and industries; and investing in, implementing and expanding adaptation activities and models. Projects on investment in and renovation of natural systems and infrastructure facilities must be consistent and implemented for multiple regions and multiple sectors in a focused manner according to a reasonable roadmap. To continue public communication and boosting activities to raise public awareness about climate change adaptation. Specific tasks and solutions include:

a/ Renovating infrastructure facilities in order to increase sectors’ and industries’ resilience to climate change:

- To effectively manage water resources; to supervise and protect water resources; to increase water storage capacity and water use efficiency amidst climate change with priority given to areas prone to drought or water scarcity or negatively affected by saltwater intrusion;

- To apply and extend intercropping models suitable to dry and saline conditions and climate change-adaptive crop cultivation and animal husbandry models; to carry out climate change adaptation activities in agriculture; to improve agricultural land use efficiency; to arrange crop structures in a manner that suits comparative advantages and market conditions of regions and areas; to prevent and control epidemics for plants, domestic animals and aquatic animals; to develop and expand plant varieties and animal breeds; to increase fishing and aquaculture forms of high efficiency; to renovate methods and techniques and improve infrastructure facilities of the fisheries sector;

- To upgrade and renovate traffic works in areas highly prone to disaster risks and vulnerable to climate change;

- To improve resilience of infrastructure systems in urban centers, centralized residential areas, industrial parks and resettlement quarters in coastal areas and on islands; to tackle inundation in urban centers in the context of climate change and sea level rise; to develop and build disaster-, climate extreme- and sea level rise-proof houses; to apply climate change-adaptive new technologies and materials in the field of construction and urban development;

- To upgrade and renovate infrastructure facilities of industrial, energy and trade sectors, and industrial production establishments in association with synchronously implementing environmental protection measures and rationally and effectively using and exploiting natural resources in areas vulnerable to climate change;

- To develop health and healthcare networks meeting requirements for prevention and control of epidemics, existing diseases and new diseases resulting from climate change, ensuring environmental hygiene conditions; to apply solutions in terms of technology and equipment in prevention and treatment of diseases which are on the rise due to climate change; to intensify the system of monitoring and early warning of impacts of climate change on health; to build and expand models to raise resilience of communities, climate change adaptation of the health sector and community well-being;

- To maintain, conserve and upgrade the system of infrastructure facilities and historical-cultural relics in order to raise resilience to climate change.

b/ Raising adaptive capacity of natural ecosystems and biodiversity against impacts of climate change through enhancing the management of ecosystems and biodiversity; increasing the restoration capacity of natural ecosystems and protecting and conserving biodiversity against impacts of climate change and sea level rise.

c/ Developing and expanding models of ecosystem- and community-based climate change adaptation; enhancing the participation of local communities in monitoring, conservation and management of biodiversity.

d/ Managing and protecting forests and raising forest quality through forest reproduction, restoration and enrichment solutions; enhancing the participation of communities in planted forest development in order to improve livelihood and increase employment opportunities in the forestry sector.

dd/ Raising awareness and knowledge about climate change and disasters of administrations of various levels, social organizations and communities; building capacity and developing female human resources, and boosting gender equality in climate change adaptation.

e/ Conducting scientific research and technological development, focusing on new and advanced technologies in climate change adaptation.

3. Reducing disaster risks and mitigating damage, getting ready to respond to disasters and climate extremes increased due to climate change

In order to reduce disaster risks and mitigate damage, get ready to respond to disasters and climate extremes increased due to climate change, it is necessary to synchronously apply groups of capacity building-related solutions so as to forecast and make early warnings about disasters and climate and weather extremes; to improve the disaster risk management system in order to reduce vulnerability and increase readiness for response to climate extremes; timely and effectively implement adaptation solutions in order to mitigate damage caused by short-term, medium-term and long-term impacts related to climate change in the future. Specific tasks and solutions include:

a/ Getting ready to respond to dangers caused by climate change through building capacity of climate change surveillance, hydro-meteorological monitoring, and forecasting, warning and communication about disasters and climate extremes.

b/ Ensuring safety for the system of hydraulic structures and disaster prevention and control works in order to proactively respond to disasters which tend to increase in terms of frequency and intensity.

c/ Renovating the disaster risk management system, implementing the work of disaster risk identification, zoning and forecasting; building capacity, intensifying management measures and boosting disaster risk reduction, attaching importance to community-based disaster management solutions, and using local knowledge in disaster prevention and avoidance on order to mitigate vulnerability to and increase readiness in responding to weather and climate extremes.

d/ Mitigating damage caused by climate change-related short-term, medium-term and long-term impacts of disasters by timely and effectively applying disaster prevention and control solutions, attaching importance to areas highly prone to storm, flood, flash flood, inundation or landslide.

dd/ Controlling river bank erosion and coastal erosion; coping with increase in droughts and saltwater intrusion; and remediating losses and damage caused by impacts of climate change.

IV. PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION

The implementation of the Plan shall be phased as follows:

1. The 2021-2025 period

During 2021-2025, to focus on improving climate change adaptation mechanisms and policies; to prepare legal foundations and technical conditions to boost integration of climate change adaptation contents into policies and the system of strategies and master plans; to implement priority climate change adaptation tasks and solutions, improve disaster response capacity and mitigate damage caused by disasters and abnormal developments of climate and weather. Key tasks and solutions in this period include:

a/ To formulate and improve the national legal framework on climate change, laying a foundation for formulation of a Law on Climate Change; to review, update and formulate socio-economic development master plans and sectoral master plans based on climate change scenarios; to boost the integration of climate change adaptation contents into the system of strategies and master plans; to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of climate change adaptation.

b/ To assist domestic agencies in building capacity to become accredited entities with the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and other funds; to formulate and periodically update the national report on climate change adaptation for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

c/ To apply and expand climate change-adaptive intercropping models; to increase agricultural land use efficiency; to arrange appropriate crop structures; to develop and expand climate change-adaptive plant varieties and animal breeds as well as crop cultivation and animal husbandry models.

d/ To manage ecosystems and biodiversity; to improve restoration capacity of natural ecosystems and protect and conserve biodiversity; to boost ecosystem- and community-based climate change adaptation activities.

dd/ To carry out climate change surveillance, hydro-meteorological monitoring and disaster forecasting, warning and communication; to increase the level of safety of disaster prevention and control works; to timely and effectively implement ant-disaster solutions related to storms, floods, flash floods, inundation and landslides; to deal with inundation in cities and centralized residential quarters; to prevent and fight river bank erosion, coastal erosion, drought and saltwater intrusion; to improve resilience of infrastructure systems; to upgrade and renovate traffic works in areas highly prone to disasters and vulnerable to climate change.

e/ To mobilize more resources for climate change adaptation, covering training programs and courses; to conduct scientific research on climate change adaptation; to implement human resources development schemes; to attract investment in climate change adaptation; to enhance international cooperation.

2. The 2026-2030 period

During 2026-2030, to continue increasing state management of climate change, coordinate and integrate activities in performance of tasks and solutions in order to improve capacity of sectors, industries, economic sectors, communities and ecosystems so as to increase resilience and get ready to make adjustments against climate changes. To continue increasing resilience of infrastructure systems and adaptive capacity of natural ecosystems and biodiversity; to increase restoration capacity of natural ecosystems and protect and conserve biodiversity against climate change impacts. To boost adaptation actions which bring about co-benefits in mitigating climate change risks and economic, social and environmental benefits. To monitor and evaluate impacts of climate change response activities in the world on Vietnam and identify solutions for mitigating impacts and make the full use of opportunities for socio-economic development.

3. Vision toward 2050

In the period from after 2030 to 2050, to promote results achieved in the 2021-2030 period, continue increasing climate change adaptation capacity of humans, infrastructure facilities and natural systems in order to protect and raise quality of life and ensure food, energy and water resource security, gender equality, social welfare, community well-being, protection of natural resources, national sustainable development in the context of climate change, and safety against disasters. To integrate climate change adaptation contents into all socio-economic activities in order to take the initiative in climate change adaptation, make use of opportunities from climate change for socio-economic development, and actively contribute to the international community in climate change response and protection of the climate system of the earth.

V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION

1. Monitoring of the implementation schedule of the Plan

The implementation schedule of the Plan shall be monitored based on results achieved in each period with regard to the tasks stated on the list of tasks attached to this Decision (not translated).

- At the national level: Tasks stated in the Plan shall be considered and evaluated at the national level once every 2 years. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall coordinate with the National Committee on Climate Change in monitoring the implementation progress of the Plan.

- At ministerial and sectoral levels: Ministries and sectors shall monitor and evaluate the implementation of sectoral-level tasks within the ambit of their assigned functions and tasks; summarize and send reports on implementation results to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and National Committee on Climate Change before December 31 every year.

- At the local level: Provincial-level Departments of Natural Resources and Environment shall advise and assist provincial-level People’s Committees in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of local- and community-level tasks in their localities; summarize and report the implementation results to provincial-level People’s Committees for the latter to formulate and send reports to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and National Committee on Climate Change before December 31 every year.

The implementation progress of the Plan shall be reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to the National Committee on Climate Change at their annual meetings and, on that basis, necessary adjustments will be made.

2. Review and updating of the Plan

The Plan shall be reviewed and updated for the first time after the first 2 years of implementation. After the subsequent 3 years, the Plan shall be reviewed and updated for the second time based on implementation results in the 2021-2025 period.

3. Evaluation of implementation of the Plan

The last 5 years of the Plan shall be the period for fulfilling the set objectives. The implementation of the Plan shall be finally evaluated so as to identify achievements and draw lessons for the Plan of the next period.

The amendment and evaluation of the Plan shall be conducted throughconsulting ministries, sectors and localities.

VI. FUNDS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PLAN

Funds for implementation of the Plan come from the following sources:

1. The state budget (current expenditures, development investment expenditures) according to current decentralization regulations as prescribed in the Law on the State Budget and guiding documents.

2. Funds included in national target programs and other programs and projects.

3. Other lawfully mobilized sources.

VII. ORGANIZATION OF IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall:

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the National Committee on Climate Change, related ministries and sectors, and provincial-level People’s Committees in, monitoring and urging the implementation of the Plan; periodically conduct preliminary and final reviews, report and propose the Government, Prime Minister and National Committee on Climate Change necessary measures to ensure synchronous and effective implementation of the Plan.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in, monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Plan; timely report and advise the Government and Prime Minister on solutions for addressing shortcomings and problems arising in the course of implementation of the Plan at the central and local levels so as to ensure that the Plan is implemented according to schedule, bringing about practical effects;

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment, Ministry of Finance and related ministries and sectors in formulating mechanisms and policies to support and attract investment in climate change adaptation activities; mechanisms and policies to intensify the system of insurance and sharing of climate and disaster risks;

- Organize the implementation of the Plan and assigned tasks.

2. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall:

-  Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, reviewing investment projects and medium-term public investment plans for relevant periods according to the lists of investment projects proposed by ministries, central agencies and localities so as to submit them to competent authorities in accordance with the Law on Public Investment and guiding documents;

- Coordinate with related ministries, sectors and agencies in reviewing socio-economic development master plans and plans so as to ensure the integration of tasks of the Plan as well as linkage and consistency between master plans and plans; formulate mechanisms and policies on support and attraction of investment for climate change adaptation activities;

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in monitoring and evaluating the implementation of the Plan;

- Organize the implementation of the Plan and assigned tasks.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall:

-  Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, other ministries and central agencies in, balancing and arranging annual current expenditures from the central budget for performance of the tasks of the Plan;

- Organize the implementation of the Plan and assigned tasks.

4. Provincial-level People’s Committees shall allocate local budget funds for organizing the implementation of activities and tasks of the Plan assigned to localities according to regulations.

5. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees shall:

- Take the initiative in implementing their assigned tasks stated in the list of tasks attached to this Decision; concentrate efforts to mobilize and allocate resources for implementation of these tasks, ensuring quality and schedule as required;

- Review development master plans and plans of sectors, domains and localities so as to integrate their contents into activities of the Plan, so as to ensure linkage and consistency between master plans and plans;

- Mobilize and attract the participation of socio-political organizations, social organizations, enterprises and communities; create conditions for financial institutions and domestic and foreign enterprises to invest in and support the implementation of the Plan;

- Carry out monitoring and conduct public communication to raise awareness about climate change and climate change adaptation in the course of performing their assigned tasks;

- Propose to the Government and Prime Minister measures to optimize the implementation of the Plan and necessary adjustments to the Plan in the subsequent period;

- Before December 31 every year, send reports on the performance of ongoing tasks, results of tasks completed, and tasks not yet completed against the required schedule and reasons therefor to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for the latter to summarize and report them to the Government and Prime Minister.

Based on the Plan, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees assigned certain tasks shall take the initiate in performing these tasks; formulate detailed contents and estimate funds for each task in accordance with current law and submit them to competent authorities for approval for use as basis for determining and allocating funds according to regulations. Funds for performance of functions and regular tasks of ministries, sectors and localities shall be included in their annual budget estimates.-