Training for provincial and local authorities on planned relocation for communities in the context of environmental change and climate change

HoaBinh, 12-13 Dec 2017

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Institute of Sociology (IOS), Viet Nam Academy of Social Sciences, co-hosted a two-day training session on “Planned relocation for communities in the context of environmental change and climate change” for provincial and local leaders in Hoa Binh Province, Viet Nam on 12-13 December 2017.

Hoa Binh is a province in the northwest of Viet Nam. It is a mountainous region where heavy seasonal rainfall and steep slopes give rise to risks of river flooding, flash floods, and landslides, affecting the safety, livelihood and well-being of hundreds of households. Planned relocation has been and continues to be at the center of the province’s mitigation strategy.

Participants were provided with an overview of key concepts surrounding the complex issues of migration, environment, and climate change, as well as practical tools and guidelines for application to the local context. In particular, throughout the two-day training, participants discussed the importance of the community empowerment approach to planning for and implementing environment-induced relocation programs. The discussion also highlighted that planned relocation is best considered as an option where safe in-situ adaptation or other options are not feasible, and should be planned, designed and implemented with careful attention to community needs, rights and aspirations in order to achieve the desired outcomes of reduced vulnerability and increased resilience.

A new training manual on the topic was recently developed by IOM and was introduced on the occasion of the training workshop in Hoa Binh, as well as at an earlier training of trainers (TOT) course jointly conducted by IOM and IOS in Ha Noi. The material received very positive feedback from both future trainers and local leaders. The manual is being finalized by IOM and will be published soon.