The Central Việt Nam is characterized by rapid urbanization, particularly in small and medium-sized coastal cities. At the same time, the region is facing an increase in precipitation and heavy rainfall events caused by climate change, which, combined with land-use changes, results in more frequent and more intense flooding. In this context, the FloodAdaptVN project aims to:
– better understand and assess the drivers, spatial patterns (incl. hotspots), as well as dynamics of present-day and future flood risks (2030, 2050, 2100),
– investigate entry points for and barriers towards the implementation of disaster risk reduction (DRR), risk transfer (i.e. insurance) and adaptation solutions (with a strong focus on ecosystem-based approaches),
– develop a decision support tool for risk-informed (spatial) planning and prioritizing among different DRR, risk transfer and adaptation measures, and
– foster capacity development.

Definition phase (08/2019 – 03/2021)
Building on the strong foundations laid out in the Preparation Phase of the BMBF funding initiative, the aim of the Definition Phase is to further specify the local needs and refine the existing project idea, to identify missing partners, and to co-develop and submit the proposal for the Research & Development (R&D) Phase. The study area is the Huế coastal urban region and its hinterland. A pilot case study with multitemporal remote sensing analysis, reverse flood modelling, initial exposure, and vulnerability assessment as well as pilot adaptation and insurance solutions for a defined urban development area in Huế city was conducted as a feasibility study for the R&D Phase.

R&D phase (04/2021 – 03/2025)
In this phase, the initial approach, which was co-developed in the definition phase, will be refined and applied with local scientific contributors and stakeholders.

The roadmap
The project will develop the following key activities and solution concepts by applying a co-designed approach to support the responsible local authorities in reducing current and future flood risks:
– involving local stakeholder in developing research results and establishing a stakeholder network for climate change adaptation
– analyzing the drivers, patterns, and dynamics of present-day flood risk by satellite earth observation, hydrological modeling, and in-situ data
– modeling future flood hazards under Representative Concentration (RCP) and Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) scenarios
– assessing present-day exposure and vulnerability of people and infrastructure and develop future scenarios
– evaluating existing and potentials for additional flood risk reduction, risk transfer and adaptation measures
– assessing the legislative and policy framework and integration of climate change adaptation and flood risk management measures into the current planning practice
– integrating scientific data and knowledge from the local population and relevant actors into the planned flood information system (FRAME)
– evaluating climate risk insurance benefits, which offers ways to transfer risks and reduce the impacts of hazards on the most vulnerable
– investing in capacity building and knowledge exchange amongst German and Vietnamese institutions

Integrative, Transdisciplinary and Collaborative Research Design
FloodAdaptVN is co-designing and co-developing innovative ideas with multiple internal and external stakeholders. A co-design approach with all relevant stakeholders from the initial project idea to the final implementation will be conducted to generate actionable results for sustainable solutions and implementation of measures. The inter- and transdisciplinary research design integrates methods and expertise in spatial planning, legal processes, policy making, satellite remote sensing, spatial data processing, flood modeling, climate change, risk and hazard assessment, etc…

Open and Transparent Research
FloodAdaptVN follows the FAIR principles to ensure open and transparent research practices and subsequently findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable data and research results.