Urban Climate Change Adaptation in the Context of Transformation: Lessons from Vietnam

Abstract

The imperative of adapting cities to risks associated with climate change will reveal the strong potential of political and administrative action at the level of local urban governments. Action at this level facilitates adaptation solutions that are closely linked to the specific needs, wants and capacities of local communities and economies. At the same time, the need to adapt to climate related impacts creates new, and in many cases, unprecedented challenges for local governments, often exceeding their current capacities in terms of risk awareness, expert knowledge, access to information, finance, or legal responsibility. This paradox is most apparent in emerging economies that have recently undergone, or are currently experiencing, political and economic transformations, including (re-)orientation towards market-oriented economies, administrative liberalisation, decentralisation, dynamic urbanisation and changing socio-political paradigms. Drawing on empirical research based on coastal and delta cities in Vietnam, focusing particularly on the example of Can Tho City in the Mekong Delta, this paper analyses the challenges local urban governments face with respect to formulating and implementing climate change adaptation strategies for their city in the context of transformation. The paper argues that challenges are particularly evident in the fields of urban growth and expansion, administrative reform and decentralisation, the fragmentation of sector responsibilities, the broadening of the actor spectrum and planning and management paradigms. Lessons learned can be utilised for other local urban governments experiencing similar conditions. Knowledge gaps and future research needs are also explored.