Assessment of climate change risks and adaptation options for secondary cities in southwestern Bangladesh and central Vietnam

Analysis of climate change impacts has typically targeted rural areas in Asia, and when attention has focused on the urban environment it has been primarily in the larger megacities. However, issues affecting rapidly urbanising secondary cities in Asia (which face a specific set of challenges vis-à-vis climate change, in combination with development dynamics) are less well researched and understood. Capacity to respond is also lower in these cities, evidenced by a lesser concentration of investment, resources, institutions and skills. In response to this knowledge deficit, this project set out to develop a participatory toolkit that would enable local communities to assess the climate risks facing their cities in south-western Bangladesh (Satkhira) and central Vietnam (Hu?). Both regions already experience annual cycles of flooding and urban water-logging, with periodic extreme flood events, and these are projected to increase in frequency and intensity under a changing climate. The regions are also exposed to coastal cyclonic storms, as well as slower-onset events such as sea level rise and salinity intrusion. The toolkit, comprising a portfolio of participatory assessment approaches, was tested in the respective local communities to ensure it was fit for purpose and to provide a platform for informing context-specific adaptation options.