COMMUNITY-BASED VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT IN

COASTAL AREAS IN BEN TRE

HCMC 21 – 22 July 2011

Presented by: Bui Kim HuuOxfam Great Britain

PCVA analysis: Community meetings for validation and broadening perspectives

Ben Tre Map

1. Disasters and Climate Change

Ben Tre Province – vulnerable to:

• sea level rise, saline intrusion

• more unpredictable rains, longer dry seasons

• greater annual temperature range

• water shortages and drought

• high tide flooding, twister (whirlwind)

• coastal/river land erosion

Response and Preparedness

• Flood and Storm Control Plan: limited participation and not functioning properly

• Search&Rescue Committee: Not well built up• Action/Contingency Plan: extremely broad, vague• Early Warning Equipment: limited & poor• No storm evacuation shelter• Current SEDPs: not mainstreamed or even

considered within existing plans.

What People remembered about the PCVA

• The purpose of PCVA was to understand the risks faced by people and their experiences and to see how they coped. We assessed our situation before and after the disaster; we were able to able to gather data and what kind of approaches to take, for examples, using focus group discussions etc.

(Ms Hoang Thi Xuan, aged 27, Youth Union member of Thanh Phong commune, Thanh Phu district )

Hazard Mapping

2. Climate Change & Disasters Impacts Coastal Livelihoods

• A reduced harvest or complete harvest loss

• Less productivity: the poor to find jobs elsewhere

• A number of poor households: experience food shortages between seasons

• The poor only have short-term, part-time job or seasonal labour.

Seasonal work: women collect clams for daily expenses

Climate Change & Disasters Impact Coastal Livelihoods

• Female headed households: fewer opportunities to escape poverty

• Name of both husband and wife in land use certificate is not popular.

• Women: still face prejudices and stereotypes in the communities

What People remembered about the PCVA

“We assessed local capacities and vulnerabilities. We identified how best to prepare for hazards and how to improve development. PCVA helped in the process of identifying problems and solutions and it helped skills in conducting assessment.”

(Mr. Truong Van Hung, aged 42, a farmer of Thanh Hai commune, Thanh Phu district)

Community Meetings

3. Gender issues

• Men is less illiteracy than women

• Men earn more money than women in the same job

• Women: less access to 5 capitals/assets than men

• Women: vulnerable to particular diseases

• Women: less participation in disaster preparedness and development planning

4. Mangrove Forests Management

The key threats to the mangrove areas include:• Illegal conversion to shrimp ponds

• Forest Fire is becoming an increasing threat

• Coastal erosion: 10 ha of forest land/year

• Understaffing per district

• Incentives for forest protection: low

5. WASH Issues

• Key concern - water supply in any form

• High household expenditure for buying water during dry season

• water quality – no treatment; not clean or safe

• Widespread use of agricultural pesticides affects water sources

Sanitation conditions: poor.

Awareness of hygienic practices, sewage and waste disposal: low.

Lack of awareness on key aspects increases health problems

• Limited latrine coverage• low uptake of household latrines and

widespread open defecation• Skin irritations and diarrhoea• Risk of dengue and malaria

6. Recommendation for interventions

+ Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building

• Community-based Disaster preparedness Plan• Awareness raising• Capacity building for Search and Rescue+ Livelihood Adaptation with approach focusing

on the poor, in particular women• Women’s Employment and Entrepreneur

Groups

• WASH interventions

• Water tanks

• Awareness raising on water collection and storage

• Awareness raising on water pollution, waste and health and hygiene issues

• Improve water quality monitoring through the water supply chain

• Integrating Climate change adaptation and Preparedness Plans into SEDPs

7. Lessons learnt - Assessment

1. Effective planning is the key to effective implementation:Know when to use PCVA

Design it with others

Enlist team members with diverse backgrounds

A team orientation is absolutely important

Lessons learnt - Assessment

2. On the ground: working with the People

2.1 Ensure people ‘s participation

• local people, local leaders

• ensure equality and representation;

2.2 Facilitation: Drawing out People’s voices

2.3 Choose the right PRA tools

Lessons learnt - Assessment

3. Reporting: Translating voices into Actions

3.1 PCVA analysis: Validation and broadening perspectives

3.2 Strategy development

3.3 Report writing

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

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