Environmental research

The project Developing a community model in applying technologies to reduce vulnerabilities and to increase adaptive capacity in addressing drought and salt water intrusion issues in agro development at Ky Nam commune, Ky Anh district, Ha Tinh province has the general objective to contribute to minimizing vulnerability and improving adaptability in order to reduce the impacts from droughts and salt water intrusion in agro development at Ky Nam Commune, Ky Anh District, Ha Tinh Province through application of advanced technology and scientific knowledge about varieties, methods of general cultivation, harvesting of rainwater for household and industry use and sustainable land use methods. The four specific objectives are i/To promote the awareness and understanding of the local government authorities and local people on the impacts of climate change on every socio-economic activities and local living environment. ii/ To build a twin model for applying scientific-technological advances so as to limit damages caused by droughts and salt water intrusion; iii/: Draw lessons and experiences of the model, analyze and recommend to the local community. The project is implemented at two villages: Minh Quy (area near the foot of the mountains) and Minh Hue (a low-lying area near the sea) of Ky Nam commune, Ky Anh district is a district north of Ngang Pass, with a relatively high large gradient, main livelihood of the people is forest-agriculture. In particular, Ky Nam is considered one of the poorest communes of the district with proportion of poor households being 52.5%, despite high potential for ecotourism. The implementation of the project is consistent with the legitimate aspirations of the community and the objectives of socio-economic development of the People s Committee of Ky Anh district. Main activities of the project include i/develop and implement an awareness-raising programme on the threats of climate change through community-level communication activities, ii/Design and implement 2 models for applying scientific-technological advances so as to limit damages caused by droughts and salt water intrusion with 3 main solutions: a shift to drought-resistant plants and species for households, with special emphasis on local varieties native to the region, harvesting and storage of surface water and rainwater for household and industry uses, communicate the measures to protect forests Establish rainwater-harvesting model at household level to address shortage of water supply for domestic and production use, iii/ Monitor and distil lessons learnt from the models, propagate the methods and expand to other localities Tentative technological solutions: i/ a shift to drought-resistant plants and species for households, with special emphasis on local varieties native to the region, design and effectively manage drought-resistant plant diversity in the households ii/ construct tanks within in the household scale to collect rainwater for household use iii/ Propagate methods to conserve forests based the community Project outcome : Training information and documents, warning propaganda about the impacts of climate change and introduce adaptive solutions, advanced technology constructed and propagated, 10- 12 training classes, education seminars organized for 500 participants, 2 conversion models to adapt to droughts and salt water intrusion are designed and tested, small tanks to collect and store rainwater for household use and the model for the shift in agricultural activities (projected 40-50 household beneficiaries). Famer groups of interest are founded and initiate activities, protective forests are better conserved.

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