IUCN meeting on "Participatory Action Planning for Livelihood Initiatives"

Notes of the Meeting on

Participatory Action Planning for Livelihood Initiatives Suggested by Local Communities

Time: 8:00 – 11:00 and 13:30 – 17:00 (full day) Date: 27.09.2012

Venue: DONRE

Organizers: IUCN & DONRE

Participants: representatives from Sub-DECAFIREF, Provincial Women’s Union, DARD, DONRE, Provincial Farmer Association, DARD and DONRE divisions in Tran De and Cu Lao Dung districts, People’s Committee of Trung Binh commune, Tran De district and An Thanh Nam commune, Cu Lao Dung district, local farmers of Vam Ho and Vo Thanh Van villages (An Thanh Nam commune, Cu Lao Dung) and of Cho and Mo O villages (Trung Binh commune, Tran De) and GIZ.

Following the “Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA)” training and surveying program in May, 2012 in the framework of the “Improvement of Climate Change Resilience in the Coastal Areas of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand (BCR)”, DONRE and IUCN organized the meeting on September 27 in order to report preliminary results of the VCA and to discuss on action plan for priority issues based on initiatives proposed by local communities.

Five main priorities were outlined:

v Action 1 - Supporting materials to consolidate embankments for 60 ha crop land in Mo O village.

v Action 2 - Connecting community, enhancing capacity and developing livelihoods for adaptation to climate change. This action consists of 7 activities:

· Activity 1: Awareness assessment and training on environmental protection, climate change and sustainable use of aquatic resources.

· Activity 2: Building sanitary latrines in Cu Lao Dung.

· Activity 3: Capital support for livelihood development (cattle raising in Trung Binh, cows and pigs raising in An Thanh Nam, net-knitting training in Cho village, Trung Binh commune.

· Activity 4: Capital and technical support in planting of high-yield sugar-cane varieties.

· Activity 5: Support composite containers for rainwater harvesting in Trung Binh commune.

· Activity 6: Building water supply system for 3 residential areas in An Thanh Nam commune, Cu Lao Dung.

· Activity 7: Support alum water filters for poor households in Mo O village, Tran De .

v Action 3 – Shifting destructive fishing tools to environmental friendly fishing tools.

v Action 4 – Protection and development of aquatic resources by establishment of releasing focal points for egg-bearing aquatic beings.

v Action 5 – Together with Sub-DECAFIREF, support clam cooperative in Cu Lao Dung conducting zonation for management, exploitation and strict protection.

Action plans for main feasible proposals including activities, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders, resources, implementation time were discussed in a participatory approach through consensus of local authorities and people of 2 communes An Thanh Nam (Cu Lao Dung district) and Trung Binh (Tran De district).