Community resilience assessment to support climate change adaptation in Cambodia and Viet Nam

Abstract

RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT the Asia-Pacific are generally more exposed to climate-driven changes to their livelihoods than those in larger/urban communities. We developed and piloted a community resilience tool to be used to support climate change adaptation within existing development planning pathways. Our framework included 39 key questions based around outcomes related to (i) livelihoods and environment, (ii) infrastructure, (iii) community self-reliance, and (iv) climate and disaster management. In peri-urban Thuy Thanh (Vietnam), climate and disaster management were most concerning, with plan implementation funding the most limiting factor. In rural Vinh Hai, livelihood and environment outcomes were of most concern but again, plan implementation funding and information contributed to poorer outcomes. In rural Lvea Krang (Cambodia) community outcomes were most concerning, limited by ineffective collaboration, and plan implementation funding. In peri-urban Chamkar Samrong, all outcomes except climate and disaster management were of concern, with plan implementation funding and information the most limiting factors. Building resilience requires context-based consideration of desired outcomes and factors that affect them. Our assessment tool provides project managers with a comparably cheap means for monitoring the long-term effectiveness of un-coordinated aid donor projects in supporting community-based adaptation to climate change