The project conducted its first two online stakeholder workshops with the project partners from Thailand and Vietnam. The aim was to introduce the project and discuss future joint work steps in the two new partner countries and to tackle several topics with the multi-stakeholders.
On July 16th and 22nd, 2021 the project conducted its first two online stakeholder workshops respectively with Thailand and Vietnam partner. The aim was to introduce the project and discuss future joint work steps in the two new partner countries and to tackle the following topics with the multi-stakeholders:
- How are disaster risk, climate change adaptation and urban planning interlinked in Thailand and Vietnam respectively?
- How is informality and are informal settlements defined?
- Where are hotspots of informal settlements or poor urban groups?
- Where and what are hotspots and gaps for upgrading?
- Where and what hotspots and gaps for retreat (resettlement and relocation)
The 30 to 50 representatives of planning authorities, ministries and NGOs from Thailand and Vietnam discussed in detail the above issues with the project partners of Urban Futures and Policy Research Unit (UFP) at the Thammasat University, Bangkok; and the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment of the Vietnam National University of Agriculture (VNUA); as well as the LIRLAP partners of the School of Urban and Regional Planning (SURP), University of the Philippines Diliman; the Institute for Spatial Planning and Development Planning of the University of Stuttgart (IREUS); and the Unit on Human- Environment-Relations of the Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich (LMU). The topics of disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, land use planning and mainstreaming resilient upgrading and retreat have been extensively covered during both workshops, particularly in terms of informal settlements and the urban poor. Additionally, the dual PhD program gained resonance among multi-stakeholders regarding capacity building. Based on both workshop input, a way-forward on networking and concrete work steps and mechanism are expected to be further built up.