Capacity Building Project on Climate Change for Civil Society Organizations

 

Introduction

A long and exposed coastline, low lying river deltas and an economy that is centred on natural resource based livelihoods all make Vietnam highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

 

Nevertheless, not everyone within the vulnerable areas of Vietnam will be equally affected. Poor rural communities particularly women and children are most at risk to climate change impacts due to their heavy reliance on climate vulnerable natural resources, limited asset base, and reduced access to adaptive measures. Women and children are likely to be disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Non-governmental organisations and civil society will play a significant role in assisting vulnerable communities with special attention to women and children to strengthen their resilience to current and projected climate change impacts and climate-related disasters through adaptive measures and better disaster preparedness and management.

 

The Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) and the Vietnam Non-Governmental Organisations & Climate Change network (VNGO & CC) were formed in 2008, in recognition that Vietnam is likely to be significantly affected by climate change and that non-governmental organisations are well placed to support localised responses. The Climate Change Working Group and the Vietnam Non-Governmental Organisations & Climate Change network aim to reduce the vulnerability of poor people in Vietnam to the impacts of climate change through developing and supporting environmentally and economically sustainable and socially just responses to climate change, among which capacity building has been identified as a core objective.

 

The project capacity building on climate change for civil society organizations was developed by the two networks, funded by the Embassy of Finland in three years to enhance knowledge and skills of non-governmental organisations on climate change for more efficient works with communities. It was agreed by the Climate Change Working Group and the Vietnam Non-Governmental Organisations & Climate Change network to assign the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) as the applicant of the proposal as well as the co-ordinator of the project.

 

The target group of the project includes climate change practitioners of non-governmental organisations, particularly staff of Vietnamese non-governemtnal organisations and national staff of International non-governmental organisations currently facing the challenge of climate change in their programmes and project work. In addition the program will indirectly reach and build the capacity and resilience of the vulnerable and remote communities and marginalised groups that are the main beneficiaries of the targeted non-governmental organisations. This will include ethnic minority communities in the vulnerable northern uplands and central highlands. The project will also reach beyond the direct target non-governmental organisation staff through the newsletter, website and other printings.

 

Project Objective

“To raise awareness and build capacity of civil society, focusing on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and their partners, to effectively respond to and integrate climate change (CC) adaptation and mitigation into relevant existing and future programs to contribute to long term sustainable development of the country and Vietnamese people”.

 

Project Components

The project is composed of three main components addressing capacity needs across climate change adaptation and mitigation:

 

Component 1: Communication and coordination - English / Vietnamese

Component 2: Training on adaptation and mitigation - English / Vietnamese

Component 3: Learning and sharing - English / Vietnamese

 

Project Steering Committee

SRD - The Centre for Sustainable Rural Development: Leading agency
CARE International in Vietnam - Chair of Project Steering Committee (PSC): supporting Component 1
CDA - The Centre for Development Assistance: supporting Component 1
MCD - The Centre for Marine Life Conservation and Community Development: supporting Component 2
RECOFTC - The Center for People and Forests: supporting Component 2
TDI - Institute for Training, Research and Technology Development: supporting Component 2
CRS - Catholic Relief Services: supporting Component 3
Oxfam Vietnam - supporting Component 3
VVOB - Flemish Association for Development Cooperation and Technical Assistance: supporting Component 3

 

Project documents

Logframe

Proposal

Needs assessment workshop report