Transboundary: Adaptation to climate change in the countries of the Lower Mekong Basin

The Lower Mekong Basin (LMB) covers an area of 606,000 km2 and shares borders of Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Viet Nam. There is growing concern about the potential effects of climate change on the socio-economic characteristics and natural resources of the LMB region. Climate change is expected to result in modifications to weather patterns in the LMB in terms of temperature, rainfall and wind, not only in terms of intensity but also in terms of duration and frequency of extreme events. Seasonal water shortages, droughts and floods may become more common and more severe, as may saltwater intrusion. The changes are expected to affect natural ecosystems and agriculture and food production, and exacerbate the problems of supplying increased food demand to growing populations in the region. Some countries (Cambodia and Lao People's Democratic Republic) have developed the national adaptation programs of actions (NAPA). There is also the Thailand’s Action Plan on National Climate Change as the Five Year Strategy on Climate Change 2008-2012 contains strategic directions for development of detailed action plans for future adaptation activities. The Vietnamese National Target Plan (NTP) establishes directions for the development of sectoral and geographic adaptation action plans and to date; an action plan has been completed for the agricultural and rural development sector.

In response to the potential impacts of climate change in LMB, the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has launched the regional Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative (CCAI). The CCAI which is a collaborative regional initiative designed to address the shared climate change adaptation challenges of LMB countries.

While still in the preparatory and consultative phase, the CCAI has supported National Expert Teams (NETs) in each of the LMB countries to prepare reports documenting the current state of knowledge of potential impacts of climate change, as well as existing national adaptation and policy responses. One of the reports (Regional Synthesis Report (RSR)) presents the findings from the National Reports as an input for shaping the Climate Change and Adaptation Initiative (CCAI) coverage and approach. The report provides a coherent and comprehensive snapshot of current knowledge and activities related to climate change in the LMB countries.

The LMB countries have conducted a Vulnerability and Adaptation Assessment to examine the impacts of climate change on agriculture (rice production), forestry (forest types), human health (malaria) and coastal zone (sea level rise). Surveys have also been conducted in rural areas to get a picture of existing climate hazards and vulnerability and adaptation to measures that can be initiated. Under the Core Environment Program (CEP) Biodiversity Conservation Corridors Initiative (BCI) seven climate change activities are proposed focusing particularly on infrastructure aspects of climate change and adaptation, but also including aspects on disaster preparedness capacity for communities.

One of the key activities has been the development of an ecosystem-based adaptation approach to climate change, which involves measures to build resilience and reduce risk for local communities and ecosystems. It includes a range of local and landscape strategies for managing ecosystems to increase resilience and maintain essential ecosystem services and reduce the vulnerability of people, their livelihoods and nature in the face of climate change. It is essential to establish a regional organization for climate change to provide scientific advice for LMB countries to ensure the continuity of the response to climate change.

Finally, it is important to incorporate from early stages of national budget negotiations climate change adaptation concerns. Hence a need for capacity building and awareness raising of climate change adaptation for staff of government institutions involved in the national budgetary process so as to integrate climate change issues into the national budget.