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Climate change and its impact on the Mekong Region
Climate Change is widely considered one of the major threats to development, stability, and global security. The world is witnessing a clear increase in extreme weather events –mainly floods,
droughts, and storms – afflicting ever larger numbers of people on all continents and causing growing amounts of human and economic losses. There is now irrefutable evidence that human activities
contribute to a steady warming of the planet in measurable ways through the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). Energy-related emissions are responsible for about 65% of the world GHG emissions, with
the balance coming from agriculture, land use changes and waste. The consequences of the resulting global warming are increasingly predictable and mostly negative for economic development and human
welfare, particularly for those living in developing countries. Climate Change may affect Southeast Asia more severely than almost any other part of the world. Millions of people rely on the great
rivers that flow down from the Himalayas: the Mekong, the Irrawaddy, the Red River and the Salween, among others. The regular flow of these rivers is projected to change catastrophically because the
Himalayan glaciers are melting at a very rapid rate. At current rates, the glaciers will have completely vanished within the next two to three decades. This will be disastrous as first of all, floods
will come and then, probably seasonal drought. In addition to this, coastal areas, especially the heavily populated mega-deltas such as the Mekong and Red River Delta, will be at greatest risk due to
increased flooding from the sea. Under a realistic scenario, sea level will be about 40 cm higher than today by the end of the 21st century. This is projected to increase the annual number of people
flooded in coastal populations in South East Asia by about 16 million, specifically from Thailand to Vietnam, but also including Indonesia and the Philippines. Just in the Mekong delta in Vietnam
alone, about 1 million people will already be directly affected by sea-level rise by 2050.
SDC'S Climate-relevant activites in the Mekong Region
SDC’s three strategic priorities are reducing poverty, reducing security risks, and co-shaping a form of globalisation that promotes development. Many of the activities within these fields have an
impact on mitigating or adapting to climate change. An example of an SDC project to mitigate climate change in the Mekong Region is the Vietnamese Sustainable Brick-making Project. Among other
objectives, this project focuses on making brick production in Vietnam more energy efficient. As the stoves used for brick making are heated by coal, an efficiency increase directly implies a
reduction of CO2-emission and air pollution as well.
- Sustainable brick production: less greenhouse gas emissions
Brick-making is one of the most important industries in Vietnam and is traditionally carried out on a small scale by family-run businesses in rural areas. Brick production is one of the most environmentally damaging activities in the construction sector. The kilns tend to be highly inefficient, and use low-quality coal with high sulphur content. This leads to intense local air pollution, as well as a significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to tackle this challenge, since 2002 Switzerland has been supporting a pilot project in Vietnam's Nam Dinh Province, aiming at identifying ways of transforming existing brick production to environmentally sound and economically viable forms of production by small–scale brick-makers through a replicable programme of technical solutions, policy instruments and management tools. The environmental impact is huge, considering that every brick produced in an inefficient traditional kiln consumes up to 500 grams of coal, and that this can be reduced to 110 grams if fired in a more efficient, modern kiln. The potential reduction in coal consumption and thus carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is impressive: The over 300 modern kilns, the so-called Vertical Shaft Brick Kilns, newly constructed thanks to Switzerland’s support, are already saving some 150,000 tons of CO2 per year, or the equivalent of compensating 75,000 flights from Europe to Hanoi. I n addition, modern kilns can produce hollow bricks that consume not only much less energy for firing - and clay as raw material - but also have much better insulation standards. This means considerable energy saving over the lifespan of the bricks as the energy spent on heating/cooling is reduced. Through supporting environment-friendly brick production, Switzerland contributes to the reduction of the emission of greenhouse gas, which is considered as the primary cause of climate change and, in particular, of global warming. - Clean Air Project in Hanoi/Vietnam: for better air quality and less greenhouse gas emissions
Since 2004, Switzerland has been supporting the Swiss- Vietnamese Clean Air Project (SVCAP) in Hanoi, with the aim to contribute to the prevention of further deterioration of the air quality in Hanoi and surroundings. Four important areas of intervention have been addressed, i.e., policy reform, awareness raising, demonstration of pilot projects, and establishment of a database. All these areas are interlinked. The emphasis is put on capacity building and institutional strengthening, resulting in a better air quality management system in Hanoi and creating favourable conditions for the reduction of air pollution. By supporting the clean air project, Switzerland makes a contribution to a slower increase in air pollution and CO2 emissions. As an example, policies related to mitigation of air pollution have been developed over the last two years by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MONRE) within the frame of the Swiss-Vietnamese Clean Air Program. The new clean air legislation and decree focus on pollution control measures for industry and transport, as well as on economic incentives. I t is expected that the effective implementation of these pollution-control measures will induce a shift from dirtier to cleaner fuels and reduce the energy used in industry. This will not only result in the reduction of air pollution in and around major cities in Vietnam, but also diminish associated health risks, reduce green house gas (GHG) emissions, and last but not least, reduce cost for industry in the long run. - Sustainable forest management in Vietnam: contribution to mitigation of climae change
Vietnam's 33 million hectare (ha) total land area, forests cover an area of 12.61 million ha, equivalent to 37% of the total land area, of which about 10.28 million ha is natural forest. Forests have a special importance: providing timber and fuel wood, and a vast array of non-timber forest products, especially for ethnic minorities living in upland areas; generating income and employment; and fulfilling an important role in environmental protection and sustainable development. Therefore, measures to protect, restore, and sustainably manage forests offer significant climate change mitigation potential. On one hand, through conservation of existing forests, emissions associated with forest degradation or clearing can be avoided. On the other hand, by changes in forest management in order to plant trees or facilitate the natural regeneration of forests, sequestration can be enhanced by increasing forest-carbon-absorption capacity. I n view of the challenges of sustainable forest management, SDC has been supporting the Forest Sector Support Partnership in Vietnam since 2001, with the aim to maximize the efficient and effective use of all resources applied in the forest sector. In addition, a Trust Fund for Forests has been created which prioritizes poverty alleviation, sustainable forestry management and economic growth. Through this support, Switzerland gives long-lasting and important support to a sector which is crucial for mitigation of climate change, and thus contributes to the global agenda.