Assessing climate change
The Mekong & climate change
How vulnerable to climate change impacts is this vast and majestic ecosystem, which is so important to livelihoods and some of the rarest species on Earth?
In a project funded by the McArthur foundation, WWF is currently conducting a climate change vulnerability assessment of the Mekong River’s freshwater and riparian habitats, the Northern Annamites and the Dry Forests in the Greater Mekong.
The assessment is being done through a combination of mapping, modeling and consultation. It will examine the climate impacts on biodiversity, forest connectivity, landscape change and species distribution shifts.
At the end of this two-year project, we aim to produce a set recommendations to facilitate adaptation to potential impacts from climate change on the critical species, habitats and protected area networks in the Greater Annamites, Dry Forests and Mekong River.
Importantly, this assessment is engaging stakeholders from multiple sectors, including government and technical experts. We are also collaborating with researchers, incorporating ongoing studies on climate impacts on the region. Building and strengthening these relationships is crucial for our success in the mission for the Greater Mekong Region to adapt to climate change.
The assessment is being done through a combination of mapping, modeling and consultation. It will examine the climate impacts on biodiversity, forest connectivity, landscape change and species distribution shifts.
At the end of this two-year project, we aim to produce a set recommendations to facilitate adaptation to potential impacts from climate change on the critical species, habitats and protected area networks in the Greater Annamites, Dry Forests and Mekong River.
Importantly, this assessment is engaging stakeholders from multiple sectors, including government and technical experts. We are also collaborating with researchers, incorporating ongoing studies on climate impacts on the region. Building and strengthening these relationships is crucial for our success in the mission for the Greater Mekong Region to adapt to climate change.
The mighty Mekong River.
Biodiversity & climate change
How vulnerable to the impacts of climate change are the Greater Mekong's top biodiversity areas?
More than 90 specialists and researchers from WWF, relevant NGO’s, government agencies and universities gathered in Bangkok, Thailand, on July 20-21, to assess the climate change vulnerability of six high priority biodiversity conservation areas.
These areas included the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia, the Siphandone stretch of the Mekong River in Laos, the Central Annamites Mountains in Vietnam, the Eastern Plains Dry Forests in Cambodia, the Western Forest Complex in Thailand and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. See attached documents for the materials that resulted from this workshop.
These areas included the Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia, the Siphandone stretch of the Mekong River in Laos, the Central Annamites Mountains in Vietnam, the Eastern Plains Dry Forests in Cambodia, the Western Forest Complex in Thailand and the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. See attached documents for the materials that resulted from this workshop.
Workshop presentations
Download
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Characterizing species, habitats and ecosystem services presentation by Simon Mahood
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Climate Change in the Greater Mekong Presentation by Stuart Chapman.pdf
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Ecosystem approaches to adapting to climate change Presentation by Dr Renae Stenhouse
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Future Climate Projection in Mainland Southeast Asia Presentation by Suppakorn Chinnvano
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Implementing REDD in the Tenasserim Presentation by Dr. Rungnapar Pattanavibool
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Potential Climate Change Impacts in the Mekong Region Presentation by Dr Geoffrey Blate.pdf
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REDD and climate change adaptation Presentation by Jeremy Broadhead
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Scenario-based Approaches Presentation by Anond Snidvongs
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Central Annamites
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Dry Forests
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Mekong Delta
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Siphandone
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Tonle Sap
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Western Forest Complex
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Climate change workshop proceedings
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Climate change workshop proceedings annex
Building a climate change resilient future
Whether it is community development, infrastructure projects or management of protected areas, every undertaking should think about the challenges that climate change will present in the future and carefully consider the adaptation options.
During June 2010, WWF-Greater Mekong Program, Raks Thai Foundation and the Southeast Asia START Regional Center (SEA START RC) convened a workshop in Bangkok aimed at developing strategies to increase the resilience to climate change of ecosystems and communities in six priority areas of the Greater Mekong Subregion.
In particular, the workshop focused on understanding the differences and exploring the synergies between ecosystem-based and community-based adaptation approaches.
The workshop was attended by over 80 representatives from over 60 organizations and four countries, including government, civil society, donors and academics. Having this diversity of viewpoints, the contradictions and commonalities of each stakeholder's preferred adaptation options were discussed and we could pinpoint cross-sectoral and cross-border mutually benefiting solutions.
The outcomes can serve as guiding principles for building climate change resilience in any future initiative.
Please see downloads for more information and discussions from the meeting.
In particular, the workshop focused on understanding the differences and exploring the synergies between ecosystem-based and community-based adaptation approaches.
The workshop was attended by over 80 representatives from over 60 organizations and four countries, including government, civil society, donors and academics. Having this diversity of viewpoints, the contradictions and commonalities of each stakeholder's preferred adaptation options were discussed and we could pinpoint cross-sectoral and cross-border mutually benefiting solutions.
The outcomes can serve as guiding principles for building climate change resilience in any future initiative.
Please see downloads for more information and discussions from the meeting.
Workshop presentations
Download
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The role of ecosystems in human adaptation
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MRC climate change and adaptation initiative
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Economic Evaluation of Response Options to Sea Level Rise
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Workshop objectives & previous findings
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Landscape Management and Configuration
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Adaptation to Climate Change In Quang Nam
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Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platformfor Asia
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Allowing Resilience
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Synergies Between Ecosystem and Community Livelihoods
