Building Resilience of Communities Affected by Climate Change and Environmental Degradation in Viet Nam

Viet Nam is one of the nations most affected by climate change and is facing increasing challenges from environmental degradation, both of which contribute to increasing levels of displacement from sudden-onset (e.g. tropical storms, typhoons, flash flooding and landslides) together with slow-onset events (e.g. sea-level rise, coastal erosion, salinization and droughts).

The objective of this project is to enhance protection of migrants and those who may be vulnerable to forced migration as a consequence of climate change and environmental degradation in Viet Nam. In order to achieve this, IOM will support government agencies to actively engage in preventing and mitigating risks of climate change related forced migration. This will be accomplished through two outcomes. Under the first outcome, provincial, district and commune level officials in the target provinces will have increased knowledge and understanding of the nexus of migration, environment and climate change. Under the second outcome, these officials will have improved skills to plan, target and deliver appropriate services and assistance to communities affected by climate change.

The proposed project will help beneficiaries better understand the migration dynamics arising from climate change and environmental degradation – examining migration both as an adaptive response and as an indicator of vulnerability. This project will inform provincial governments and empower them to engage in a process at the district and commune levels to link national policies and priorities to local efforts in developing the capacity of individuals, households, and communities to assess their situation, and effectively adapt themselves to climate change and environmental degradation.