13 January 2025 – Dr Linda Anne Stevenson, Acting Director of the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN), delivered an inspiring opening speech at the kick-off meeting for the APN project CRRP2024-01MY-Le, titled Evaluation of Nature-Based Solutions for the Enhancement of Urban Water Security in South-East Asian Cities. Held as a hybrid event at the Sustainable Finance Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, the meeting marked the formal launch of the project aimed at addressing one of the most critical challenges of our time: ensuring urban water security amidst the growing impacts of climate change and engaging Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
Dr Stevenson warmly welcomed the distinguished guests, researchers and stakeholders, emphasising the significance of this collaborative effort in Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia. She highlighted that the project would leverage innovative nature-based solutions (NBS) to tackle urban water security challenges, underscoring the importance of partnerships and shared commitments in achieving sustainable outcomes.
Dr Stevenson reflected on Vietnam’s impressive track record in sustainability, particularly through projects supported by APN during its 5th Strategic Phase. She elaborated on Vietnam’s achievements in climate-smart agriculture, sustainable water management and ecosystem restoration, citing examples from the Mekong Delta. These initiatives, which integrated traditional knowledge with modern techniques, provided a strong foundation for the current project and served as a blueprint for scaling similar efforts regionally.
While acknowledging these successes, Dr Stevenson also drew attention to the immense challenges that Southeast Asia continues to face due to climate change. She described how disruptions to the water cycle, caused by erratic rainfall patterns and water shortages, threaten ecosystems, livelihoods, and economies. Against this backdrop, she outlined the project’s structured four-part methodology: baseline analysis, exploration of NBS, implementation of solutions and capacity building. She acknowledged and commended the team’s use of the WATSAT tool developed by Prof. Mukand Babel of the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).
Expressing her gratitude, Dr Stevenson acknowledged the contributions of APN’s members from Vietnam, including National Focal Point Mr Le Ngoc Tuan and Scientific Planning Group member Dr Kim Chi Ngo, whose guidance will be pivotal in aligning the project with national priorities. She also extended her appreciation to Dr Le Anh Quan for her leadership in spearheading the initiative.
Complementing Dr Stevenson’s speech, Professor Sangam Shrestha of AIT congratulated the project team for successfully securing funding through APN’s 2023 competitive regional call for proposals. He attributed this achievement to the strong collaboration fostered during APN’s Proposal Development Training Workshop for Southeast Asia, co-organised by AIT and held on its campus in May 2023. Professor Shrestha expressed his confidence that this foundation of collaboration would guide the project team in achieving impactful outcomes.
During the event, the project leader and collaborators from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam provided detailed presentations on the case studies to be undertaken in their respective countries. These presentations showcased the unique challenges and opportunities in each location, offering insights into the tailored strategies that will be implemented to enhance urban water security.
The event also featured focused discussions among the project team, stakeholders and participants. These discussions centred on ways to strengthen and refine the methodologies for conducting project activities and to enhance the capacity building components. The collaborative exchange of ideas highlighted the team’s commitment to ensuring that the project’s outcomes are both practical and sustainable, empowering local communities and stakeholders to sustain and expand the benefits of the implemented solutions.
The meeting provided a strong foundation for the project’s implementation and laid the groundwork for achieving its ambitious objectives. Through the collaboration and innovation demonstrated at this event, the initiative promises to bring transformative solutions to urban water security challenges in Southeast Asia.
