2. October 2017

For the first time, 29 young academics, environmental activists, and students from five Vietnamese provinces got together for 3 days in Hue City to learn, share their knowledge and discuss about climate change and its impacts in Central Vietnam.  Beside the Mekong Delta, also Central Vietnam is very exposed to risks of climate change, like extreme rain and storms, flooding, but also droughts and extreme heat. The First Summer School on Climate Issues in Central Vietnam, funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation, was organized by the Mientrung Institute from the Academy of Sciences of Vietnam in cooperation with UfU. There were 10 speakers from four countries presenting: inter alia, Dr. Jakob Schewe from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), Germany, Dr. Heidi Weiskel, Marine Biologist from the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW), USA, Chochoe Devaporihartakula from the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Thailand, and Dr. Katrin Brömme from the University of Bochum, Germany.

During the 3 days program, interesting debates and discussion came up, for example if Vietnam is strong enough to meet its targets from the Paris Agreement, if the objectives to increase coal power counteracts the achievement oft he targets. One oft he participants, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Huy from the Management Center of the Cham Islands Marine Protected Area, a local NGO, got to the heart of the problem by stating that Vietnam needs much more effort on climate protection, but it also needs desperately economic growth. Up to now both issues do not fit together.

The Summer School did not only include presentations from climate experts, but also elements that gave the participants the opportunity for active exchange among each other, like a World Café and short presentations from the participants on their research interests and possible solutions for climate impacts in their provinces. A further part of the Summer School focused on research approaches and model projects on climate issues in Vietnam. Here, the CPEP project on bioenergy crops cultivation on closed mining sites which is implemented by UfU in cooperation with the University of Bochum and funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) from the German Federal Environmental Ministry, was presented by Fabian Stolpe (UfU) and Dr. Katrin Brömme (Bochum University). The following discussion showed the high interest of the participants on more practical solutions in Vietnam.

The participants also acknowledged the good organizational work of Ms. Binh Minh from the Mientrung Institute (a former UfU fellow) with resounding applause. The participants announced that they want to stay in contact and initiated the idea of the creation of a network of Summer School attendees. With the promise to promote this idea in the Robert Bosch Foundation, Dr. Michael Zschiesche (UfU), who was mainly responsible for the development of the concept for the Summer School and the invitation of speakers and participants, closed the First Summer School on Climate Issues in Central Vietnam.

Further information and contact:

Dr. Michael Zschiesche michael.zschiesche@ufu.de