Stakeholders representing Vietnam ministries and departments, as well as international experts and consultants, came together in Hanoi on June 17 to discuss the implementation of a monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system to assess the progress of Vietnam’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process. During the inception workshop, held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, participants were introduced to the draft of an M&E manual that will guide ministries, branches, and localities in developing their reports on the status of the adaptation activities.
The M&E system was issued by the Prime Minister of Vietnam in January. It sets out climate adaptation indicators and specifies responsibilities across the government at national and local levels. In addition to tracking the progress of adaptation activities, the M&E system provides information on the achievement of national goals and international commitments and offers guidance for improving the management of adaptation actions.
The system also defines adaptation activities in six groups to be monitored and evaluated: government management on climate change; strengthening resilience in priority sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fishery, biodiversity, public health, and water resources; disaster risks reduction; investment for adaptation action; science, technology, and international cooperation; and training and awareness-raising.
Nguyen Tuan Quang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Climate Change (DCC), Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, remarked that the M&E system is quite “ambitious” for Vietnam. “The system will be updated once ministries and provinces get some practical experience in implementing it,” said Quang.
Developed with support from the NAP Global Network, the M&E manual introduced in this month’s workshop aims to elaborate on the concepts included in the M&E system and provide guidance on the M&E process from planning to reporting, including collecting information, the use of indicators, and updating the online database system. Participants of the inception workshop provided comments and detailed information for the document. The final version is expected to be launched in August.
Climate change is increasingly affecting various regions of Vietnam, particularly the 3,260-km coastline and deltas, such as the Mekong River, which have been impacted by sea level rise, saline intrusion, storms, floods, and droughts. The mountainous areas are also affected by flash floods and landslides with increasing frequency.
The Vietnamese NAP for the 2021–2030 period, with a vision to 2050, was approved by the Prime Minister in July 2020 and is currently under revision. The plan aims to strengthen the resilience of communities, economic sectors, and ecosystems, as well as integrate adaptation action into government plans and strategies.
This inception workshop was supported by the NAP Global Network via its Country Support Hub, with funding from the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development. To learn more about our work on monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) in national adaptation, visit our theme page.