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MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

TEACHING MANUAL

This publication has been produced by Ministry of Education and Training in cooperation with Live & Learn for Environment and Community (Live&Learn), Plan in Vietnam and the Australian Government’s Aid Program (AusAID).

Contact Information:

Live & Learn for Environment and Community30, Lane 32/26 To Ngoc Van, Hanoi, Vietnam Tel: +844 3718 5930 | Fax:+844 3718 6494 Email: [email protected]: www.livelearn.org, www.thehexanh.net

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Located in Southeast Asia, a region familiar with extreme weather, Vietnam is regarded as one of the countries most heavily impacted by, and vulnerable to, natural disasters and climate change.

In recent years, the Vietnamese government has developed guidelines and policies in order to enhance its capacity to respond to natural disasters and climate change, and has developed a National Strategy for Natural Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and a National Target Programme to respond to climate change.

The “Teacher Manual on Climate Change Education” is one of the fi rst specifi c and concrete teaching manuals to help teachers and students raise their awareness and ability to respond to climate change. The material is a timely contribution to implementing the Education Sector’s Action Plan for the recently released National Strategy for the period of 2011-2020, in which “responding to climate change” is a priority.

This manual is designed for the “Child-Centred Climate Change Adaptation” project, funded by the Australian Government’s Aid Program (AusAID) and developed by the Centre for Live and Learn for the Environment and Community (Live&Learn) and Plan in Vietnam. The material has been approved by the Ministry of Education and Training. It draws on various international and Vietnamese educational materials.

In the process of writing this manual, we have pre-tested and piloted teaching at some schools. The material has been supplemented by valuable contributions from teachers, education leaders and experts in the fi eld of climate change. We welcome any input from stakeholders. In the future, we hope to develop further reference materials for teachers and students at different levels to help in the implementation of the Action Plan.

The authors would like to thank donors including AusAID, Live & Learn, Plan in Vietnam, the Department of Science, Technology and the Environment, Ministry of Education and Training, and the many teachers who have made valuable contributions to the process of writing this manual.

PREFACE

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CONTENTS

PREFACE..................................................................................................................1

ABBREVIATION.........................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................4

GLOSSARY OF TERMS..............................................................................................7

PART 1: TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES...................................................11

Module 1: Weather, climate and climate change...........................................................12

Module 2: Causes of climate change..........................................................................17

Section 2.1 - Causes of climate change and the greenhouse gas effect..................17

Section 2.2 - Human activities and impacts on our climate and environment..........23

Module 3: Climate change impacts.............................................................................29

Section 3.1 - Climate change impacts in the world and in Vietnam..............29

Section 3.2 - Who are the most affected by climate change? Poverty and vulnerability indicators..............................................................................34

Module 4: Responses to climate change......................................................................39

Module 5: Practicing skills to respond to climate change.............................................45

PART 2. TEACHER FACT SHEET...........................................................................49

Topic 1: Weather, climate and climate change.............................................................50

Topic 2: Causes of climate change.............................................................................56

Topic 3: Climate change impacts globally and in Vietnam.............................................63

Topic 4: Responses to climate change.........................................................................74

REFERENCES........................................................................................................80

PART 3. HANDOUTS..............................................................................................83

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ABBREVIATION

EIA

GHG

Gt

HIV/AIDS

IMHEN

IPCC

MONRE

NTP

PPM

SLR

UNEP

UNFCCC

UNESCO

USGS

VNRC

WHO

Energy Information Administration, US

Greenhouse gas

Gigatonne (1000 million tonnes, or 1 billion tonnes)

Human Immunodefi ciency Virus/Acquired Immunodefi ciency Syndrome

Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Vietnam

National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change

Parts per million

Sea level rise

United Nations Environment Program

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

United Nations Educational Scientifi c and Cultural Organisation

US Geological Survey

Vietnam Red Cross

World Health Organization

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INTRODUCTION

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Teaching Manual on Climate Change Education is:

To raise awareness of climate change and the role of education in developing and maintaining safe and sustainable livelihoods and communities;

To assist teachers in implementing a participatory, or student centred, teaching approach that uses content and methodologies to actively involve learners, and to integrate climate change adaptation into subjects and extracurricular activities; and

To promote the application and sharing of educational materials, ideas and activities in climate change education.

By doing this, teachers will help students to gain knowledge, skills and attitudes to respond to climate change.

Knowledge: Students will be able to explain climate change and it’s causes, explain climate change impacts globally and in Vietnam, and understand efforts at the international, national and local levels to mitigate and adapt to climate change;

Skills: Students can act personally to adapt to and mitigate climate change, contribute to the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation plans for their families, communities and schools, and enhance their ability to observe, analyze and evaluate the impact of climate change and other associated skills (including public speaking, active listening and group work); and

Attitude: Students can gain a sense of responsibility and develop a positive attitude, can actively participate in the protection of the environment, in building green lifestyles and in promoting low carbon activities, and can develop a sense of sustainable consumption and an interest in low carbon systems for individuals, communities and business.

USERS

This manual was developed for use by:

Teachers at all levels;

Experts involved in curriculum design and development;

Managers in the education sector; and

Student clubs, volunteer groups, and other individuals or organisations involved in climate change education.

HOW TO USE THE MANUAL

This book consists of three parts:

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Part 1 - Teaching and Learning Activities: introduces lessons and educational activities related to natural disasters and climate change. Users can select information and activities appropriate to students.

Part 2 - Information for Teachers: provides reference knowledge on natural disasters and climate change corresponding to the topics in part 1, and gives background knowledge to assist with lesson delivery.

Part 3 - Handouts to Support Teaching and Learning Activities: includes pictures, photos and correlative materials supporting each of the lessons in Part 1.

When implementing the teaching and learning activities in Part 1, teachers or instructors may:

Use the information in Part 2 to familiarise themselves with the content and reference materials on natural disasters and climate change; and

Use the handouts (pictures and information) in Part 3 to teach and learn.

HOW TO USE PART 1 - TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

For each topic, teachers can choose knowledge and activities appropriate to the locality and students’ backgrounds or levels of knowledge. This section comprises suggested educational activities, with each topic taking 45-120 minutes for implementation.

The Content of each topic consists of 3 parts:

Objectives: describes the knowledge and skills that students will require regarding the topic;

Main activities:

- Warming-up: creates a positive teaching and learning atmosphere using educational games or interactive activities;

Teaching Manual on Climate Change Education - Stucture

SUPPORTING MATERIALS FOR TEACHING AND

LEARNING

Part 2. Teacher fact sheet

Part 3. Handouts

PART 1: TEACHING AND LEARNING ACTIVITIES

1. Weather, climate and climate change

3. Impacts of climate change

5. Practical Activities

2. Causes of climate change

4. Responding to climate change

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- Problem studying: introduces the studied topics using interactive educational activities (group discussions, case studies, role-play and presentation);

- Lesson reinforcement: helps students reinforce the key points of the lesson and evaluate knowledge gained through quiz/questions. Teachers can use additional practical exercises for students to make their lessons more relevant, useful and interesting.

Other activity suggestions: offers other educational activities for teachers to supplement/replace some main activities where appropriate for students of different grades and regions. These activities also provide practice opportunities to reinforce and evaluate students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes.

ADVICE ON APPROACHES TO TEACHING AND LEARNING

Use a variety of educational games and interactive activities to create a positive participatory learning atmosphere;

Make knowledge concise and skills practical - avoid theory and learning-by-heart;

Enhance the role and participation of students using individual and group work, experience learning and participatory planning, action and evaluation;

Provide diversity with simple actions for learning activities - make full use of existing materials and combined activities using information technology with classroom and community activities; and

Link economic, cultural and environmental themes to promote a vision of sustainable development.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Adaptation

Carbon cycle

Climate

Climate change

Climate change senario

Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment. Adaptation refers to adjustments in natural or human systems, intended to reduce vulnerability to current or anticipated climate change and variability or exploit benefi cial opportunities.

The natural processes that infl uence the exchange of carbon (in the forms of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbonate and organic compounds, etc.) between the atmosphere, ocean and terrestrial systems. Major components include photosynthesis, respiration and decay between atmospheric and terrestrial systems (approximately 100 billion tons/ year), thermodynamic exchange between the ocean and atmosphere, carbon exchange in the deep ocean (approximately 90 billion tons/year). Deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels releases approximately 7 Gt carbon into the atmosphere annually. The total carbon in reserve is approximately 2000 Gt in land biota, soil, and detritus, 730 Gt in the atmosphere and 38,000 Gt in the oceans (IPCC, 2001). On long-time scales, atmospheric CO2 concentration is infl uenced by the balance of geochemical processes including organic carbon burial in sediments, silicate rock weathering, and vulcanism.

Climate is often defi ned as the weather averaged over time (typically, 30 years as defi ned by the World Meteorological Organization).

Climate change refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identifi ed by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forcing, or to persistent anthrophogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use.

A plausible description of how the future may develop, based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions about key relationships and driving forces (i.e. rate of technology change, prices). Note that scenarios are neither predictions nor forecasts, but are useful to provide a view of the implications of the social, economic and political drivers of change.

Defi nitions of terms are cited from the following sources: National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment - MONRE, 2008), Climate Change and Impacts in Vietnam (Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment - IMHEN, 2010), and terminology used by international organizations in Vietnam. To teach and learn about climate change, these defi nitions should be simplifi ed in accordance with students’ background or levels of knowledge.

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Disaster

Greenhouse gases

Hazard

Mitigation

Reservoir

Risk

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Precautionary Principle

A serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses which exceed the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its own resources.

Greenhouse gases are those gaseous constituents of the atmosphere, both natural and anthropogenic, that absorb and emit thermal infrared radiation entering the Earth’s atmosphere and being emitted from the Earth’s surface. Water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, ozone in the troposphere and halocarbons are the primary greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

A dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life, injury or other health impacts, property damage, loss of livelihoods and services, social and economic disruption, or environmental damage.

Actions resulting in a reduction of the degree or intensity of greenhouse gas emissions.

A component or components of the climate system where a greenhouse gas or a precursor to a greenhouse gas is stored (as defi ned in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change). Oceans, soils and forests are examples of reservoirs of carbon.

The combination of the probability of an event and the scale of it’s negative consequences.

Disaster risks are the potential disaster losses, in lives, health status, livelihoods, assets and services, which could occur in a particular community or a society over some specifi ed future time period.

It is often referred to as the Convention on Climate Change, signed by more than 150 countries at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Its ultimate objective is to achieve “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”. The Convention did not state the legal obligations on emission levels while only required countries in the Annex I to reduce emissions to levels of 1990 in 2000. The Convention took effect in March 1994 with ratifi cation of more than 50 countries. Currently 195 countries have ratifi ed the Convention. In March 1995, the Conference of the Parties (COP), the governing body of the Convention, held the fi rst meeting in Berlin. The Convention Secretariat is based in Bonn, Germany.

The Precautionary Principle is cited from the Article 3 of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Parties should take precautionary measures to anticipate, prevent or minimize the causes

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Vulnerability

Weather

of climate change and mitigate its adverse effects. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientifi c certainty should not be used as a reason for postponing such measures, taking into account that policies and measures to deal with climate change should be cost-effective so as to ensure global benefi ts at the lowest possible cost.

The characteristics and circumstances of a community, system or asset that make it susceptible to the damaging effects of a hazard.Vulnerability to impacts of climate change is the degree to which a system (e.g. a natural, social or economic system) is susceptible to and unable to cope with, adverse effects of climate change.

Describes atmospheric conditions at a particular place in terms of air temperature, pressure, humidity, wind speed and precipitation etc.

PART 1: TEACHING AND

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

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Learning objectives:

Time:

Supporting materials:

At the end of this module, students will able to:

Distinguish “weather” from “climate”;

Describe the concept “Climate Change” and distinguish it from “Global Warming”; and

Understand and explain some key impacts of climate change in Vietnam and around the world.

60 minutes

Teacher fact sheet part 2, topic 1.

Handouts 1.1, 1.2, 1.3; Clip 1.1; other materials for educational games and the experiment.

Module 1: Weather, climate and climate change

1.1 Weather and climate game

The teacher introduces the following rule:

- When the teacher says “light rain”, students clap two index fi ngers together and say “ti tach, ti tach” (imitating the sound of light rain);

- When the teacher says “strong wind”, students raise their hands, waving to the left and right, saying “ao, ao” (imitating the sound of blowing wind);

- When the teacher says “heavy rain”, students stay in their place, stamping their feet, saying “lop bop, lop bop” (imitating the sounds of heavy rain drops);

- When the teacher says “thunder”, students tap the table with their fi sts, saying “ung ung, ung ung” “(imitating the sounds of thunder);

- When the teacher says “lightning”, students open their palms, stretching their arms to the front, saying “doang doang”(imitating the sounds of lightning);

Main activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

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Time: 10 mins

Time: 5 mins

2. Problem studying

Time: 20 mins

The teacher can change the order of the questions to see if students are able to quickly react or not. Then the teacher explains that such events are known as “weather”.

1.2 Distinguishing between weather and climate

- The teacher introduces In order to understand climate change, we should defi ne “Weather” and “Climate”.

- The teacher takes some examples: What is the weather like in your commune today? Do the 3-day forecasts of storm, rain or sun on TV

speak about the weather or climate? What is the climate of the North, Centre and South of

our country?

- The teacher then explains the differences between weather and climate: Weather is the meteorological state of the atmosphere

at a specifi c time and place. It includes factors such as precipitation, air pressure, temperature, wind, humidity and other phenomena such as hurricanes and thunderstorms. The earth’s weather has a high degree of variation.

Climate is the prevailing meteorological conditions that are typical for a certain region. It is the average of the weather over a long period of time (typically 30 years). Climate is relatively stable.

1.3 Small exercise about weather and climate

Have the class discuss and fi ll in “weather” or “climate” in the following sentences:

a. The … today is hot.

b. Vietnam has a tropical monsoonal …

c. The … in the South has two distinct seasons: wet and dry seasons.

Answer: a. weather; b. climate; c. climate.

2.1 Climate change concept.

- The teacher asks: What is climate change?

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Time: 10 mins

Preparation:

Handouts1.1 Global average surface temperature in the period of 1880-20081.2 Melting glacier 1.3 a, b and c - Disaster and extreme weather events.

Teacher can collect more pictures of climate change impacts

3. Lesson reinforcement

Time: 5 mins

- The teacher jots down students’ ideas on the blackboard, summarizing key points leading to an explanation of concepts associated with climate change and distinguishing climate change from “global warming”. Climate change generally refers to the long-term

changes in climate patterns that have occurred over a long period of time. The climate can become warmer or colder.

Climate change may be caused by natural factors, or human activities (e.g. land-use change, pollution etc.) that change in the atmosphere’s composition. The term “climate change” generally now refers to the climatic changes that are a direct result of human activities.

Global warming is the rising average temperature of the Earth. Climate change is a broader concept referring to the long-term changes in climate including temperature, precipitation and sea level rise, and the impacts of these phenomena on nature and humans.

2.2 Observations of climate change

- The teacher explains some key phenomena associated with climate change in the world today. Teachers can ask students about such changes in Vietnam and provide more information: The average annual temperatures are increasing. The

average global temperature has risen by more than 0.7°C since the Industrial Revolution. In Vietnam it has increased from 0.5 to 0.7°C over 50 years (1958-2007).

Polar ice is melting at an increasingly rapid rate. Sea level is rising due to the thermal expansion of water

and the melting of continental glaciers (especially at the two poles and polar ice caps).

Natural disasters and extreme weather events (such as heat waves, cold snaps, storms, fl oods, droughts) are occurring with more frequency and intensity, and are becoming more diffi cult to predict.

- The teacher uses pictures and charts illustrating the impacts of climate change, and providing some additional data (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 1 - section 1.1).

3.1 Suggested exercises

Question 1. Choose the most suitable word for the following sentences:

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a. “This morning it is sunny in Hanoi. The average tem-perature is 25°C. There may be thunderstorms in some areas”- This is an example of …

Answer: weather.

b. The … of a region is that region’s weather conditions averaged over many years.

Answer: climate.

c. Climate change generally now refers to ..., or the increased average temperature of the earth. … is a direct result of human activities.

Answer: global warming.

Question 2: Choose the most appropriate answer for the following question:

What do you call a change in the state of the climate that can be identifi ed by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer?

a. Global warming.b. Greenhouse effect.c. Climate change.d. Disaster.

Question 3: Is the following statement true (T) or false (F)? Tick the right box.

Question 4: Choose the two most appropriate answers for

the following question:

Which of the following are phenomena associated with climate change?

a. Volcano.

b. Ice melting.

c. Average temperature falling.

d. Sea level rising.

T F

Throughout history the climate of the earth has changed many times.

Further information can be found in the teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 1 - section 1.3

✓

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Other alternative activities

1. Sea level rising game

Time: 10 mins

Materials:

5 pieces of A1 paper or old newspapers

2. Film show

Time: 10 mins

3.2 Homework

The teacher asks students to collect idioms and proverbs about weather, climate or changes in the weather or climate to share with the class in the next lesson.

- The teacher explains: when climate change occurs, the ice will melt and sea level will rise, causing loss of land for human agriculture and shelter and habitat for animals.

- Divide students into groups of 5-8 people, each group is provided with a piece of A1 paper (or an old newspaper or some A4 papers assembled).

- The teacher explains the rules of the game: the paper symbolizes the land where we live; outside is the sea. To stay safe, you should have enough room for all members to stand on the paper; no feet are allowed to touch the sea area outside.

- The teacher invites 3-5 students to be judges. They will decide which team stays alive while their land is shrinking due to rising sea levels.

- The teacher shouts: the ice is melting, causing sea level rise that is fl ooding one quarter of the land. All teams will fold their paper and reduce their “land” by a quarter. The judges observe the groups standing in the reduced area.

- The teacher continues: the sea keeps rising, fl ooding a quarter of the land. The groups fold their paper again, and the game continues until only one team is left the winner.

- To sum up, the teacher links the game with reality. Sea level rise, caused by climate change, can inundate some parts of Vietnam and around the world, making millions of people homeless.

Clip 1.1 - Climate change impacts on Vietnam.

The clip presents some climate change impacts on Vietnam. Before or after showing the clip, the teacher may provide students with some facts and fi gures of climate change impacts on Vietnam and the locality.

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Objectives:

Time:


At the end of this section, students will be able to:

Explain the greenhouse effect and describe the causes of climate change; and

Understand the main greenhouse gases and greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

60 minutes


Handouts 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3; Clip 2.1.1 and 2.2.1

Module 2: Causes of climate changeSection 2.1 - Causes of climate change and the greenhouse gas effect

Game: Climate change is happening

- This game aims to help students remember the terminology and climate change phenomena. It can be carried out outdoors (12-15 students stand in a circle) or in class (students sit in place).

- Rules: appoint a student to be a monitor in the fi rst round of the game who points to any students in the class, saying a phenomenon associated with climate change, such as “sea level rising”, “temperatures increasing”, “ice melting”, “extreme weather events”.

- The student who is selected, along with 2 nearby students, must perform the correct gestures to illustrate the phenomena. If any of students use the incorrect gesture for the phenomena, he/she will have to replace the monitor to continue the game.

- The teacher clearly defi nes gestures symbolizing each phenomenon. For example:

“Sea level rising”: a student stands up and jumps; two nearby students hold their hands around the student to protect him/her.

Teaching activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

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“Temperature rising”: a student sits and his/her hands cover his/her head; two nearby students stand, using their hands to fan him/her.

“Ice melting”: a student sits, his/her arms move like crawl swimming; two nearby students wave their hands calling for help.

“Extreme weather event”: a student walks in a circle at his/her place; two nearby students join hands around him/her for protection.

- The teacher may determine different gestures suitable for students’ ages and playing space.

2.1 Greenhouse effect

- The teacher asks a question: Why does climate change happen? The teacher reviews the students’ answers, leading to the explanation of climate change causes.

According to scientists, the change in climate which has occurred over the past 150 years has mainly been caused by human activities such as unprecedented exploitation and use of natural resources, especially fossil fuels, and other human activities such as land use change and deforestation. These activities have increased GHG concentrations in the atmosphere.

The main cause of climate change is the increased concentration of greenhouse gases (e.g. CO2, CH4) in the atmosphere.

- The teacher explains the process of greenhouse gases trapping heat to warm the Earth, using handout 2.1:

The Earth’s atmosphere contains some special gases that are called greenhouse gases because of their ability to warm the Earth in the same way that warm temperatures are maintained in greenhouses for plants. Water vapor (H2O), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Halocarbons (e.g. CFC), Nitrous oxide (N2O) and Ozone in the troposphere (O3) are the most common greenhouse gases.

The Greenhouse Effect is the natural process of the atmosphere letting in some of the energy we receive from the Sun and trapping it before it is transmitted back out into space.

2. Problem studying

Time: 15 mins

Materials:

Handout 2.1 - Greenhouse effect

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1. Solar energy from the sun passes through the Earth’s atmosphere.

2. Some solar energy is then sent back to space.

3. Most solar radiation is absorbed and warms the Earth’s surface.

4. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of the heat.

- The teacher explains why the greenhouse effect and GHGs are important to human life: these gases act as a blanket for the Earth, maintaining a temperature suitable for human habitation. Without greenhouse gases, all of the earth’s energy would escape into space, causing the average global temperature to drop below a safe level.

2.2 Causes of climate change

- The teacher introduces the warming process of the Earth, focusing on the period since the Industrial Revolution and the increased average surface temperature of the Earth.

Global temperatures were largely stable for thousands of years prior to the Industrial Revolution. During this time human activities did not generate an excess of greenhouse gases. There was no electricity; there were no telephones, cars, planes, factories or televisions.

Since 1850, the Industrial Revolution has spread throughout the world. This period was marked by signifi cant advances in technology, mining, agriculture, and transportation. Since then, people started changing the environment by burning a lot of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas to generate electricity for transport, industrialised agriculture, and heating and cooling in our schools, homes, workplaces and factories.

Emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere have increased, making the blanket of gases around the Earth thicker and thicker. This blanket traps heat making the Earth hotter. As a result, over the past 150 years, the Earth’s climate has become hotter, and has changed faster than usual.

- The teacher demonstrates the global warming process using the handouts 1.1 and 2.2.

2.3 Learning about greenhouse gases

- The teacher divides students into groups of 5-8 children.

Time: 10 mins

Materials:

Handouts:1.1 - Global average surface temperature in the period of 1880-20082.2 - Atmospheric CO2

concentration in the period of 1000-2008

Time: 20 mins

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- The teacher provides each group with a set of GHG cards cut from the handout 2.3 (depending on the knowledge level of students, the teacher can cut the handout into smaller pieces). Ask students to discuss and group these cards into each greenhouse gas category, namely carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and halocarbon compounds. Allow 7 minutes for the group discussion.

- The teacher says the name of each gas, one by one. All the groups show their results and explain their arrangement of GHG cards. The teacher then summarizes information about these GHGs including emission sources, characteristics and human activities related to each GHG.

Question 1. Chose the most suitable word for the following sentences:

a. The greenhouse effect is the ability to keep the temperature of the Earth at a safe level, due to ... absorbing heat from the Earth’s surface and from external sources like the sun, and trapping it in the atmosphere.

Answer: Greenhouse gases.

b. Since the ..., humans have signifi cantly enhanced the greenhouse effect.

Answer: Industrial Revolution

Question 2: Choose the most appropriate answer for the following questions:

2.1. Where does the greenhouse effect take place?

a. In the forest.

b. In the soil.

c. In the mountains.

d. In the atmosphere.

2.2. Of the following greenhouse gases, which one is entirely produced by human activities?

a. Ozone.

b. Carbon dioxide.

c. Nitrous oxide.

d. Halocarbons.

Materials:

Handout 2.3 - Greenhouse gases cards


Time: 5 mins

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- Divide students into groups of 3-5 students. Each round, each group assigns one key player.

- The teacher chooses a term related to climate change and says part of the word, not the whole word. Key players have to “say” the remainder of the word/term immediately. A player who says the correct word(s) will be rewarded a point (it is possible to have more than one correct word). After each round the group will rotate their key player.

- Suggestion: Nature - Natural disaster ...; Climate - Climate change ... ; Green- Greenhouse effect - Greenhouse gases, CO2, N2O, CH4, CFC.

The teacher divides the class into groups of 4-5 students. Each round, each group assigns one representative to be a key player.

Directions:

- The teacher holds a greenhouse gases card and lets the group see it. The key player is not allowed to see it.

- Other members of that group have to say features of that GHG to help the key player guess what GHG it is.

- (Alternative rule: the teacher lets the key player see the card. This student has to raise questions or explain key features of the GHG. His/her group has to guess what GHG it is).

- Players are not allowed to use foreign languages or chemical symbols.

Clip 2.1.1 - “None like it hot”: the animated clip explains vividly and simply about the greenhouse effect and global warming.

Clip 2.2.1 - “Cutting down trees”: human activities will lead to a range of consequences and impacts on the environment.

Experiment: - The teacher tells students that they are going to undertake

a demonstration that aims to simulate global warming.

- Place two small seedlings side by side on the same kind of surface outdoors.

- The teacher explains to students that the glass jar acts like the blanket of gases that surround the Earth, and then asks students to cover one of the seedlings with a jar.

Alternative activities

1. Game: Fast speaking without tripping

Time: 10 mins

2. “Who am I” game

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 2.3 - Greenhouse gases cards

3. Film show

Time: 10 mins

4. Global warming experiment (for secondary students)

Time: 3 hours

(the experiment should start in the morning)

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Materials:

2 small seedlings in small pots, 1 large clear glass jar (big enough to cover the seedling)

- The teacher asks students to describe the appearance of the seedlings after 3 hours.

- The teacher lets the whole class discuss the result. What were the differences between the one covered by the “blanket of gases” (simulated by the jar) and the one that is not covered? Note that the seedlings indicate temperature by the level of wilting.

- The teacher explains to students: The glass allows solar rays to penetrate but prevents heat from escaping, warming up the temperature inside over time. This is similar to the process in which green house gases warm the Earth (called the greenhouse effect) (Live&Learn, 2010).

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Objectives:

Time:



Identify human activities related to GHG emissions; and

Understand individual and community activities to reduce negative impacts on the environment and mitigate climate change.

60 minutes


Handouts 2.4, 2.5, 2.6; Clip 2.2.3.

Section 2.2 - Human activities and impacts on our climate and environment

- The teacher prepares color cards on which names of different GHGs are written. Alternatively, the teacher may use different colored balls to symbolize GHGs.

- Divide the class into groups of 5-8 students. When the teacher says a GHG name (or throws a ball), each group has to introduce one human activity that results in the emission of that GHG.

- At the end of the game, the group who says the most correct activities will win (See the teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 2 - section 2.2).

2.1 Game “Tracking culprits”

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students and provides copies of Handout 2.4 to each group.

- Groups have 10 minutes to fulfi l the task “Tracking culprits”. The groups have to fi nd out what impacts the objects/activities numbered in the picture of the handout have on the environment and climate.

Main activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

2. Problem studying

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 2.4 - Human activities and GHG emissions

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- The teacher uses the points below as a guide:

1. Trees (or forest) are made up of plants that have ‘woody’ bodies. The wood is mostly made from carbon. Trees have a special ability of getting their energy from the Sun. When a tree breathes, it draws carbon dioxide (CO2) into it’s leaves, and releases oxygen (O2). The carbon dioxide is stored in the wood and underground in the roots. Each tree can store many tonnes of carbon dioxide, therefore a forest can store many thousands or millions of tonnes.

2. Irrigated rice fi elds are a large source of methane emissions. According to scientists, we will need to improve farming techniques to reduce the emissions produced through growing rice.

3. In many regions, vast areas of forests have been cut down. This happens because people want to sell the timber, or to clear the land to make way for agriculture or other purposes. When trees are cut down, they release their carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. This may happen slowly as the tree rots (decomposes), or rapidly if the trees are burned. When a forest is cut down, the many thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide that were stored in the trees are released back into the atmosphere.

4. Petrol-powered motors are used to drive trucks, cars, motorbikes and aeroplanes. Petrol is made from oil, which is a fossil fuel. Fossil fuels are actually the remains of forests that existed hundreds of millions of years ago, and were buried deep in the Earth. Like living trees, fossil fuels are made of carbon. When fossil fuels are burned, they release their carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.

5. Humans generate electricity by burning fossil fuels (coal, gas or oil) in power stations. Fossil fuels are burned to generate most of the electricity used in cities across the world. This process causes huge amounts of carbon dioxide to be released every day.

6. Aeroplanes can fl y at incredible speeds - hundreds of kilometers per hour, thousands of feet above the ground. This takes a huge amount of power, which comes from fuel being burned for engines. When this fuel is burnt, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

25

7. Waste and rubbish is discharged by humans and animals. The increase in human population has resulted in an increase in the amount of waste we produce. Waste is usually buried in landfi ll. The decomposition of waste produces carbon dioxide and methane (CH4). The more waste discharged, the more GHGs will be emitted into the atmosphere.

8. Livestock - in addition to carbon dioxide produced via the respiration process, livestock such as cattle and buffaloes also produce methane when they digest their food, due to enteric fermentation and waste. The growing demand of meat and diary products leads to an increase in farming and associated deforestation to clear land for grazing. Both deforestation and meat and dairy production emit a huge amount of GHGs each year.

2.2 Story telling - Who emits more GHGs?

- The teacher invites two students to tell a story using the handout 2.5. One student plays the role of Hugo who is living in a rich country, and one student plays the of role Lan who is living in a developing country.

- The teacher asks other students to listen to the story and write down daily activities of the two characters in the story.

- At the end of the story, the teacher asks the whole class to disscuss which activity creates more GHGs and which one creates less.

- The teacher summarizes the discussion ideas on the blackboard.

- The teacher may conclude that developed countries are producing more GHGs. The teacher provides information of the top ten GHG emitting countries (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 2 - section 2.2.4).

- For secondary students, the teacher provides them with more information about sectors causing the most GHG emissions in Vietnam (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 2 - section 2.2.4).

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 2.4 - Human activities and GHG emissions

26

Suggestion for teacher:

1. Suggested questions

Question 1. Choose the most suitable word for the following sentence:

... footprint is used to measure the GHG emissions of an individual person or a country.

Answer: Carbon.

Question 2: Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Tick the right box.

Hugo and friends Lan and friends

- Turn off the tap when cleaning teeth (save water);

- Classify rubbish;

- Go to school by bus;

- Participate in the Environmental Club at school;

- Advise parents to buy energy saving light bulb;

- Bring a reusable shopping bag when shopping;

- Turn off TV and computer when going to bed;

- Collect rain water for cooking;

- Feed animals with the leftovers;

- Water plants with reused water;

- Walk to school;

- Collect rubbish for recycling;

- Buy local products;

- Grow fruits and vegetables;

- Turn off all electrical appliances when going to bed;

- Leave the light on when not in use;

- Buy products with too much packaging;

- Go to school by private car;

- Use heater and hot water;

- Buy imported food;

- Use electric devices such as TV, CD players, etc.

- Buy sweets and water with a lot of packaging - e.g. plastic bags and bottles;

- Use plastic bags for shopping;

- Lan’s neighbour uses a lot of pesticide and fertilizer to grow food.

Act

iviti

es th

at in

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se G

HG

em

issi

ons

Act

iviti

es th

at re

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GH

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mis

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s


Time: 10 mins

T F

a. Livestock produce GHG emissions. ✓

b. Animal husbandry does not cause GHG emissions. ✓

27

Question 3: Choose the two most appropriate answers for the following question:

Which activities enhance the greenhouse effect?

a. Transportation. b. Reducing electricity consumption.

c. Livestock. d. Afforestation.

2. Homework

The teacher asks the students to work in teams. They have to observe the activities and behaviour of their friends, families and neighbours at school, home and in the communities where they live. Ask students to make a list of the activities and behaviours which reduce the negative impact we have on the environment, and the activities and behaviours which increase our negative impact on the environment and contribute to climate change.

The teacher uses this game to help students remember terms for positive or negative behaviours associated with environmental or climate impacts.

Rules:

- The teacher asks one or two students to be volunteers to play the role of “GHGs”. GHGs will run and touch other students (if playing outdoors) or call the name of/point to other students (if playing in the classroom).

- If touched/called, that student will have to say loudly a specifi c phrase related to the requested topics, such as climate change phenomena or activities that impact on the environment or climate. If a student reacts slowly or says an incorrect phrase, they will have to replace the current GHGs.

- The teacher can let the class play with different topics to help students remember terms related to climate change.

Clip 2.2.3 - “Story of stuff”: a short fi lm explaining the market economy and introducing problems of unsustainable production and consumption.


1. GameCalling climate change

Time: 10 mins

2. Film show (for secondary school)

Time: 10 mins

28

3. Carbon footprint calculation

Time: 30 mins

Materials:

Handout 2.6 - Your carbon footprint

- The teacher provides students with copies of handout 2.6. The teacher reads the questions and asks students to answer and score themselves in accordance with the questionnaire. Students then compare their total scores and see who has the highest and lowest scores. Praise those who have a low score (the score corresponds to greenhouse gases generated from daily activities).

- The teacher explains the concept “carbon footprint” from the above example:

Many human activities produce CO2 and other GHGs from either production of goods and services or from day-to-day activities. Depending on the methods of production of the goods and senvices we buy and the way we live, people emit different levels of GHGs. For example, driving a car will generate less GHGs than fl ying in an aeroplane; producing electricity from solar energy will emit less GHGs than energy from coal.

The concept of a carbon footprint is used to measure the GHGs produced by a person or a country. A carbon footprint is the total amount of GHGs produced by an individual in his/her daily life, calculated in tons of CO2 equivalent. The carbon footprint of a person or a country is the sum of all CO2 emissions generated by the activities of the person or country over a certain period (usually a year).

The calculation of our carbon footprints will help us to understand the impact of our day-to-day activities on climate change, and will help us to control our GHG emissions and reduce our negative impact on the planet.

- The teacher introduces the carbon footprint data of some countries around the world (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 2 - section 2.2.4).

29

Objectives:

Time:

Materials:


Describe climate change impacts on human and natural systems; and

Understand of climate change impacts on Vietnam in general and local regions in particular.

60 minutes


Handout 3.1, 3.2; Clip 3.1.1, 3.1.2.

Module 3: Climate change impactsSection 3.1 - Climate change impacts in the world and in Vietnam

Group work: review climate change concepts, causes and impacts.

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students.

- Each group discusses one or two questions to revise content from the previous lessons such as:

What is climate change?

Why is climate change happening?

What are climate change impacts?

What is the greenhouse effect?

How many key GHGs are found in the atmosphere?

What kind of anthropogenic activities generate GHGs?

- Have group representatives present their group discussion results and summarize.

2.1 Introduction about climate change impacts

- The teacher asks: What impacts may climage change have on our lives?

Main activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

2. Problem study

Time: 15 mins

30

- The teacher summarizes students’ answers (by using the climate change mind map in the teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 3):

Climate change affects our entire planet, including all the natural systems and humans living on it. Some of its impacts are due to rising temperatures:

Glaciers and ice at the two poles on the polar ice caps are melting at an increasingly rapid pace;

Sea level is rising due to the thermal expansion of water and the melting of continental glaciers (especially at the two poles);

Natural disasters and extreme weather events (such as heat waves, cold snaps, storms, fl oods and droughts) are tending to increase, both in frequency and intensity and are becoming less predictable.

Such primary effects are putting more pressure on the environmental and human systems that our planet needs to survive. These systems include our water, food, ecological, health and energy systems.

2.2 Discussion about climate change impacts on the local region

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students to discuss specifi c impacts of climate change in the following areas: health, agriculture, water resources, ecosystems, energy, construction and transport. Primary climate change impacts include sea level rise, average global surface temperature increases, and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

- For primary students, the teacher can ask them to draw pictures, perform a play, or describe pictures (as in the handout 3.1). For secondary students, the teacher can ask them to collect information related to the above mentioned topics in their localities in particular or in Vietnam in general by observing, conducting a survey or gathering information from television, radio, newspapers and the internet.

- The teacher can encourage students to present their fi ndings/results in different ways including pictures, drama or exhibitions.

- The teacher summarizes the key information and poses some more questions, for example: which impact of climate change is the most feared by students? Which impact is the most unexpected by students? The teacher can conclude: to be able to avoid a climatic hazard in the future, we all need to take as many positive actions as possible.

Time: 30 mins

Materials:

Handouts 3.1 - Climate change impacts (Picture 3.1a and Mindmap 3.1b)

31


Time: 5 mins

Other alternative activities

1. Film show

Time: 15 mins

Time: 15 mins

2. Mind map drawing (for secondary students)

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 3.2 - Causes, impacts and effects of climate change cards

Suggested questionsQuestion 1: Are the following statements true (T) or false (F)? Tick the right box.


Climate change is likely to reduce ...

a. the number of fauna and fl ora species on the Earth.b. the average global surface temperature.

c. the number of storms.

d. the land mass of inland areas.

Clip 3.1.1 - “Xã Thuậ n”. This short fi lm was produced by Plan in Vietnam using the child centred participatory approach. During the fi lm development, children play an active role in all steps, namely natural disaster and climate change risk assessment, outline and script development, fi lming, communication and sharing with other students and their communities and advocacy.

Clip 3.1.2 - Climate change impacts.

A mind map of climate change causes, impacts and effects

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students. Provide them with a card set in the handout 3.2.

- All groups discuss for fi ve minutes how to arrange these cards as causes and impacts of climate change.

- The teacher invites group representatives to tell these stories while sticking these cards on the blackboard (see the climate change mind map in the teacher fact sheet part 2 - topic 3).

- Students can collect information and pictures to make a collage on the causes and impacts of climate change.

T F

a. Climate change will make all parts of the Earth hotter. ✓

b. Scientists have calculated precisely all the climate change impacts that will affect humans.

✓

32

Fill in the crossword below using the clues given:

Vertical

1. The increasing emission of these subtances has caused climate change.

2. Warmer weather increases the risk of a disease _______ to both humans and animals.

3. Natural and dangerous phenomena causing widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses.

4. The phenomena of land degradation in arid areas.

Horizontal

5. This rain can corrode substances and destroy plant and animal species.

6. When continental ice melts, the _______ will rise to fl ood parts of the coastal land area.

7. When many species become extinct, this causes the loss of _______

8. In an area where sea water invades, the groundwater will be at risk from _______

Answer:

3. Crossword

(for secondary students)

Time: 10 mins

1

4

3

5

2

6

7

8

DESER

G TR IE FE IN CH A C I D R A I NO I TU S IS E A L E V E L A OE P S NG I TA B I O D I V E S I T YS E RE MS S A L I N I Z A T I O N

C

1

4

3

5

26

7

8

33

4. Plant growing game

Time: 20 mins

5. Story telling with pictures / photos

Time: 10 mins

Materials:

Handout 3.4 - Sets of pictures/photos of climate change impacts. The teacher can collect more pictures/photos of climate change impacts.

1. Greenhouse gases2. Epidemic3. Disaster4. Desertifi cation

- Have students to stand in a circle.

- The teacher calls loudly a phrase related to different steps in plant growth, students repeat it and make gestures in accordance with the following:

When the teacher says: “Sowing seeds”, students sit low or sit on the ground.

When the teacher says “Germination”, students rise a bit higher.

The teacher continues: “Water”, “Fertilizer”, “Water”. Each time students must rise a little higher. The teacher can also say different phases of plant growth, such as “Blooming” or “Fruits”, and students can stand upright and wave their hands.

During the game, at each stage, if the teacher shouts out an adverse effect associated with climate change, such as “Flooding the seeds”, “Drought”, “Soil contamination”, “Storm has caused fallen trees”, “Forest fi re”, etc., the students will then have to shout “Dead plant” and sit down back to the original position.

The game starts again from the beginning.

- Discussion questions:

What do students think about the game, about growing plants?

Students discuss factors affecting the growth of plants, particularly those factors affected by climate change.

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students and provides them with the handout 3.4 (each group will receive 5-7 photos).

- Based upon the pictures/photos provided, students will create a story about climate change impacts.

5. Acid rain6. Sea level7. Biodiversity8. Salinity

34

Objectives:

Time:

Materials:


Identify groups of people who are vulnerable to climate change;

Explain the impact of climate change on poor and vulnerable people; and

Raise awareness of communities about climate change impacts on poor and vulnerable people.

60 minutes

The teacher fact sheet part 2, topic 3, section 3.2.

Handout 3.3, Clip 3.2.1, Paper size A0, coloured pens and colour cards.

Section 3.2 - Who will be the most affected by climate change? The poor and vulnerable

“Flash fl ooding” game

- The teacher invites 3-5 students to act as the ‘fl ash fl ood’. The remaining act as villagers living in mountainous areas, among whom 7-10 students act as the elderly, women, children, people with disabilities and people living in poverty. The teacher draws an outline on the fl oor, or uses paper to symbolise a small area called a “safe place”, which is about 2-3 m away from the students’ seats. The safe area should be smaller, or the number of paper sheets should be fewer than the number of players.

- The teacher explains the context and the rules of the game:

The game takes place in a peaceful village situated at the foot of a mountain.

When the teacher shouts “Go to work, go to school”, players have to walk around as if they work on the farm or go to school. When the teacher shouts, “Go home, go home”, the players come back their chairs. When the teacher shouts: “fl ash fl oods, fl ash fl oods”, students who play the role of ‘fl ash fl ood’ appear, trying to sweep away people, houses and trees. Villagers

Main activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

35

2. Problem studying

Time: 10 mins

have to quickly move to the safe place, otherwise they are washed away.

The teacher speaks to students who play the role of people living in poverty, the elderly, women, people with disabilities and children or writes clearly in the role-playing card that they can only move slowly to the safe area.

- The game is played for 2 or 3 rounds.

- The teacher poses questions to discuss:

Which groups are not able to reach the safe place? Why?

Are these groups vulnerable to climate change?

If you do not want this to happen, what should we do?

- The teacher concludes the game and introduces the next lesson.

2.1 Vulnerable groups: who are they and how are they affected by climate change?

- The teacher introduces the concept of the interaction between vulnerability (for people living in poverty etc) and climate change: we can see that there are people seriously affected by natural disasters. Today we will learn who they are and how climate change impacts on their lives.

- The teacher provides some knowledge:

Vulnerable groups include people living in poverty, people with disabilties, women, children, the elderly, ethnic minorities, people living with HIV/AIDS. The people in these groups are often faced with one or more of the following forms of vulnerability:

Economic vulnerability: Individuals or families with low incomes, earning just enough or not enough to meet their basic living needs. These groups of people often live in poor conditioned or temporary housing and cannot afford health services, education or access to basic sanitation.

Social vulnerability: individuals or families who are less connected with social structures - they are less likely to be involved in organizations and activities in local communities, and can depend less on the support that these structures provide. This may include individuals experiencing mental illness.

36

Time: 30 mins

Materials:

Handout 3.3 - Stories - climate change and impacts (cases a, b, c, d and e)

3.Lesson reinforcement

Time: 10 mins

Environmental vulnerability: Individuals or families living in areas vulnerable to natural disasters.

Physical vulnerability: Individuals who are affected by physical weakness and so have lower levels of independence.

2.2 Case studies - Climate change impacts on Vietnamese people

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-8 students for discussion. The teacher provides each group with a case study in handout 3.3. Groups can double up if there are more groups than case studies.

- The teacher asks the groups to read the case study carefully, discuss together and answer the following questions in 15 minutes:

What happened to the people in the case studies?

What problems did they face?

To cope with climate change, what are their capabilities and strengths?

Have you seen this happen to people you know in your community or any other areas?

- After the group discussion is complete, the teacher holds a discussion with the whole class. The teacher can write ideas on the board, review and sum up.

Suggested questions


People living in poverty, ethnic minorities, the elderly, women and children are ... to climate change.

Answer: vulnerable.

Question 2: Choose the most appropriate answer for the following question:

Which elements contribute to vulnerability?

a. Social isolation.

b. Health.

c. Experience.

d. Being well-off.


37

Who are likely to be most severely affected by climate change?

a. Children.

b. The rich.

c. Male adults.

d. Ethnic people.

Clip 3.2.1 - “Living with fl oods”: a short fi lm about the lives of people in the South during fl oods. The fi lm also introduces situations to cope with such disasters.

- The teacher divides the class into groups of 5-6 students. The teacher asks the groups to discuss and draw a picture of a village safe from natural disasters and climate change. It is noted that the groups have to play the role of the groups assigned to them in the previous activity (people living in poverty, children, the elderly, people living with disabilities and women).

- The groups are given 20 minutes for discussion/drawing.

- The teacher invites representatives of the groups to present their picture in 3 minutes. Other groups can ask questions.

- The teacher can ask strategic questions such as:

When drawing, did you encounter any problems?

Do you think the village is safe for the group that you are acting? Have you ever observed or talked to people from these groups before?

What can you can do to help vulnerable people to lead a safe life free from natural disasters and climate change?

- The teacher, together with the whole class, selects the most complete and reasonable picture. The pictures can be saved to make a collage or for other activities later on.

The teacher uses Handout 2.5 again, asking students to discuss the following questions:

- Who produces more GHG emissions and whose activities result in more positive and negative environmental impacts as previously discussed?


1. Film show

Time: 20 mins

2. Drawing a safe village

Time: 40 mins

3. Who generates more GHGs?

Time: 20 mins

38

- Do the GHGs emitted by the friend living in the developed country affect the life of the friend living in the developing country? Or vice versa?

- Who will suffer more, the friend living in the developed country (Hugo) or the friend living in developing country (Lan)? Why?

Materials:

Handout 2.5 - A story about Hugo and Lan

39

Objectives:

Time:


At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Understand activities responding to climate change;

Distinguish between climate adaptation and mitigation; and

Develop actions responding to climate change at individual, school and community levels.

60 minutes


Handout 4.1, 4.2; Clip 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 2.2.2; A0 papers; colour cards and markers.

Module 4: Response to climate change

“Fighting climate change” game

- Gather all students to stand in a circle, or divide them into groups of 5-8 students standing in circles.

- The teacher names different activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions and activities that help respond to climate change:

For activities that increase greenhouse gas emissions, students have to bend their bodies.

For activities that help respond to climate change, students have to stand upright, putting their arms over each others’ shoulders.

- Those who make the incorrect action have to sit out (or the whole group has to sit out).

- Suggestion:

Activities contributing to climate change: forest fi re, deforestation, travelling by plane, travelling by car, travelling by motor bike, burning coal and using an air-conditioner.

Main activities

1. Warm-up

Time: 10 mins

40

2. Problem studying

Time: 10 mins

(for secondary students)

Time: 15 mins

Time: 15 mins

Activities adapting to climate change: changing the crops we grow on farmland, using less water on farms and in towns and cities, preparing early when we hear warning of storms and fl oods and building walls and dykes to protect towns and farmland from storms and fl oods.

2.1 International efforts and efforts in Vietnam in response to climate change

- The teacher gives a presentation about international efforts to address climate change including the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 4 - section 4.2).

- The teacher introduces activities Vietnam has carried out to respond to climate change and some key information about the National Strategy on Climate Change (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 4 - section 4.3).

2.2 “Face to face” game - Response to climate change

- Have students stand in a circle. The teacher stands in the middle of that circle. Ask one or two students to voluntarily be the judge and take note (they can jot down on small cards).

- When the teacher steps up, facing a student, he/she must give an answer. If his/her answer is not correct or repetitive he/she must leave the playing circle. The game continues until the teacher fi nds the winner.

- The teacher poses questions about:

Actions to respond to climate change carried out by individuals (either adaptation or mitigation);

Actions to respond to climate change carried out at school; or

Actions to respond to climate change carried out in the community.

- The teacher may provide more information to students on activities that can be conducted at home, at school and in the community for climate adaptation and mitigation (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 4 - section 4.4).

2.3 A two pronged approach to cope with climate change

- The teacher explains the strategies to deal with climate change, including adaptation and mitigation as follows:

41

Materials:

Handout 4.1 - Response to climate change cards


Time: 5 mins

Climate mitigation refers to any actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their impacts on the global climate system.

Climate adaptation refers to any adjustments to human activities that make us less vulnerable to actual or expected climate change and associated climate variability, or actions that take advantage of opportunities presented by climate change.

Every nation should take action to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.

- The teacher divides the class into small groups of 3-5 students and provides them with a copy of Handout 4.1.

Have all groups categorize the activities listed in the handout into climate mitigation and climate adaptation in 10 minutes.

All groups stick the results on the blackboard. The teacher asks all groups to explain or give comments on the results if there are any differences (see climate change response mindmap in the teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 4 - section 4.1).

The teacher may add other action cards listed by the students in the previous exercise..

- It should be noted that some solutions belong to both climate mitigation and adaptation, for example afforestation and the adoption of new farming techniques.

Suggested questions:


… of climate change is any action taken to permanently eliminate or reduce the long-term risk to human life and property associated with climate change.

Answer: Mitigation.

Question 2: Choose the most appropriate answer for the following questions:

2.1. Climate adaptation is:

a. changing human activities to accomodate impacts of climate change.

b. human activities that prevent global surface temperature from increasing.

c. human activities that reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

42

d. human activities to make us less vulnerable to actual or expected climate change and variability, or to exploit benefi cial opportunities.

2.2. Out of the following actions, which one does not help mitigate climate change?

a. Reducing the amount of cars and motorbikes on the roads.

b. Using an air-conditioner to cool the temperature.

c. Saving electricity around your home and school.

d. Riding a bicycle instead of motorcycle.

2.3. Among the following light bulbs, which one is most energy effi cient?

a. Incandescent light bulbs.

b. Fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

c. Light Emitting Diode lamps (LED).

d. High pressure sodium lamps.

Question 3: Choose the two most appropriate answers for the following questions:

3.1. Which of the following are important international efforts towards solving climate change?

a. The Earth Charter on Sustainable Development.

b. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

c. The Montreal Protocol on CFC reduction.

d. The Kyoto protocol.

3.2. Among the following, which activities mitigate climate change and are cost effective?

a. Leaving the light turned on when going out.

b. Planting vegetables.

c. Buying bottled water.

d. Traveling by bus.

Clip 4.1 - “A super hero’s choice”. A comedy about a Vietnam Superhero who always holds a philosophy “To do great work to save the world”. The fi lm highlights the message that you don’t need to have supernatural powers to save the world. Change can start with you.


1. Film show

Time: 20 mins

43

Clip 4.2 - “Hope in changing climate” is a documentary fi lm produced by Environmental Education Media Project (EEMP) with impressive images of China, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The fi lm records interesting interviews from world leaders such as President of the Republic of Rwanda - HE Paul Kagame to the local people.

Clip 4.3 - “What can I do?”. A short clip with interviews of people discussing the action they have taken in the fi ght against climate change. After showing this fi lm, the teacher can facilitate a discussion with the students to exchange ideas and share experiences of what they can do to stop climate change in their local areas.

Clip 2.2.2 - “The bill”: A comedy with a humorous but profound message about carbon dioxide emissions from developed countries.

- The teacher prepares three paper sheets of A0 size hung in three corners of the class with three topics for discussion as follows:

Actions to respond to climate change carried out by individuals

Actions to respond to climate change carried out at school.

Actions to respond to climate change carried out in the community.

- Divide the class into six groups. Two groups will discuss one topic. The groups will write each action on one colour card. After 10 minutes all groups will stick their cards on the paper sheets accordingly. Cards with the same ideas or actions will be combined.

- The teacher invites students from six groups to share their ideas or contribute more actions. At the end of the discussion, the teacher may ask students to vote for the three most effective, practical and feasible actions.

- The teacher can provide more information about actions that individuals, families, schools and communities can do to respond to climate change (see teacher fact sheet in part 2 - topic 4 - section 4.4).

- The teacher encourages students to share their action plans with others, through which they can specify step-by-step plans with specifi c timing.

Time: 30 mins

Time: 20 mins

Time: 10 mins

2. Group discussion

Time: 30 mins

Materials:

A0 papers, colour cards and markers

44

- Divide students into four groups. Each group will play the role of one of four stakeholders who will participate in the global climate change debate as described in handout 4.2. Distribute to each group the relevant components of the handout.

- In order to prepare for the negotiations each group should think carefully about the following questions:

What does your country want to get out of the negotiations?

Which countries are your allies, and why?

What is at stake if you do not achieve your goal?

Which countries stand in the way of you getting what you want, and why?

- Have students develop a list of key talking points (all groups prepare in 15 minutes). Once the groups fi nish their preparation, the teacher starts the negotiation with the following statement:

“We have gathered here today to decide upon a global agreement in response to the climate crisis. UN climate change scientists have recommended that we reduce the global atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide to 350 ppm. It is up to you, as leaders of the world’s nations, to decide how to proceed from here. We will now hear your opinions”.

- Have students share their ideas and then facilitate the negotiations in 30 minutes.

- At the end of the negotiations, the teacher engages the whole class in a discussion to debrief their experience. Suggested discussion questions are:

Why are some parts of the globe more affected by climate change than others?

What changes will take place in different regions of the globe if climate change persists?

Why are such international negotiations important?

What are some of the diffi culties involved in creating an international climate agreement? What are obstacles?

Which countries acted to support negotiations and which countries tried to block progress? Why?

Is it fair to ask one country to sacrifi ce economic growth to ensure the survival of another country?

• In your opinion, which countries have to reduce carbon dioxide emissions?

3. Global climate change debate (for secondary students)

Time: 60 mins

Materials:

Papers and pens for discussion; Handout 4.2 - Global climate debate role-play

45

Objectives: At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Take an active role in learning about the impacts of climate change locally, particularly the impacts on vulnerable groups; and

Develop action plans responding to climate change (for individuals and communities, at home and at school) with specifi c activities.

Module 5: Practicing skills to respond to climate change

Impacts of disasters associated with climate change

- The teacher guides students to conduct an interview with their relatives or neighbours and write stories about climate change and its impact on their commune, district or province.

- Have students work in groups of 3-5 (ideally form groups with students who live in the same residential area). They have to fulfi ll the following tasks:

develop interview questions to collect information about disasters/climate change;

practice interviews with a number of households or individuals;

record the fi ndings; and

share fi ndings with the class.

- Outputs of this exercise will be shared at the next lesson or be compiled in book form.

Suggestions:

Start the interview by clearly stating the purpose of the interview;

Ask the respondent about: name, age, gender, family background, where they are from, etc.

How long have you lived and worked in this area?

How do you observe or experience climate? What was the weather like when you were young? Do you remember any remarkable events? What changes

1. Collecting climate stories

Materials:

Pens and paper for discussion and note taking

46

have you noticed (this could be changes in seasonal patterns, temperature, the number of sunny and rainy days or the frequency and intensity of heatwaves, droughts and fl oods)?

How have these changes affected your life and work?

What changes have you made to respond to this?

What diffi culties do you have to face, e.g. has the climate affected your health in any way?

- Invite people with experience of natural disasters in the locality to share with the class. Request that the guests discuss:

Impacts on local people’s lives before, during and after the disaster; and

Lessons learnt from preparation and response to disasters.

- Encourage students to get more information about the impacts of climate change/disasters on the local community. At the sharing session, the teacher asks students to summarize what they have learnt from the local experiences.

- The teacher gives handout 5.1 - “Climate Action Plan” to students. Have small group discussions about possible activities responding to climate change.

- Invite students to share their activities with others and continue to develop the “Climate Action Plan” for individuals and the group. The plan must clearly specify the activities, time and location.

Individual/group action plan

Name of individual/group:

- The teacher encourages students to share their “Climate Action Plan” with their family, and other classes. Students should also regularly discuss and exchange the results with their friends/groups.

2. Sharing experiences and lessons from people affected by disasters / climate change

Time: 45 mins

Preparation:

Approach people with experience of local disasters.

3. Climate action plan

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 5.1 - Climate action plan

Activities Time Place

1.

2.

3.

47

- The teacher introduces a checklist of electrical equipment used at home (the teacher may draw it on the blackboard or distribute handout 5.2 to each student).

- Have students work individually or in groups to answer the questions and offer solutions.

- Each student (or group) will share the energy-saving solutions they use at home.

- This activity can be repeated periodically (e.g. weekly, monthly, every 3 months) to compare results and draw a lesson.

- The teacher introduces the “Plastic bag diary” with the following information:

This is a personal diary, but it can also be used for groups (of 5-8 students) or for families.

Each time the student uses (or saves) plastic bags, the student should note this down in the diary and self-score.

In the last column, the students should think of how to reduce plastic bags next time or to promote good behaviors (recycling, re-using).

Plastic bag diary review can be done at the end of each week and each month. Students should do this with their groups or families to share experiences.

- The students can work in groups to practice this activity in class, for example, record the number of plastic bags they have used in a day or a week. Then, they share the diary with their group and make plans to improve the score in the coming weeks and months.

- The teacher or the class can develop an audit table to keep track of scores and changes in plastic bag usage over time to monitor progress.

4. Energy audit

Time: 20 mins

Materials:

Handout 5.2 - Energy audit

5. Plastic diary

Materials:

Handout 5.3 - Plastic bag diary

PART 2. TEACHER FACT SHEET

50

Topic 1: Weather, climate and climate change

1.1 The difference between climate and weather

The term “climate change” refers to a change in the state of the climate that can be identifi ed by changes in the mean and/or the variability of its properties and that persists for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Climate change may be due to natural internal processes or external forces, or to persistent anthropogenic changes in the composition of the atmosphere or in land use (MONRE, 2008).

A term often used synonymously with climate change is global warming. But these terms are not the same. Global warming is the rising average temperature of the Earth. Climate change is a broader concept referring to the long-term changes in climate including temperature, precipitation, sea level rise and its impacts on natural and human systems. When scientists talk about climate change, they refer to human induced climate change, or change caused by human activities.

1.2 Climate change

WEATHER CLIMATE

Weather is the meteorological state of the atmosphere at a specifi c place and time, possibly for an hour, a day or several weeks. For example, the weather today is drizzly with light winds.

Weather includes elements such as precipitation, air pressure, temperature, wind, humidity and other phenomena such as hurricanes and thunderstorms. It can change from hour to hour and day to day. For example it could be raining for hours then suddenly become sunny.

Climate is the average state of the weather of a region over a long period of time (typically at least 30 years). Climate is relatively stable. For example, Vietnam has a tropical monsoonal climate.

A region’s climate may be characterised by certain elements of weather, including extreme weather events, for example, storms, heavy rains, heat waves in the summer and cold snaps in the winter. These elements will occur in specifi c geographic areas . Such information helps distinguish the climate of regions that have similar average weather conditions.

51

WORLD (IPCC, 2007b and IPCC, 2012)

VIETNAM (MONRE, 2011)

Average temperature

The global average surface temperature has risen since the begining of the Industrial Revolution and the rate of warming is rising sharply.

According to IPCC, the global average temperature has risen by 0.74°C over the last 100 years (1906-2005). Recent data shows an even greater temperature rise. The rate of warming averaged over the last 50 years is nearly twice the rate of warming for the last 100 years. The last decade (1991-2000) was the warmest since 1861 in the Northern hemisphere.

During the last 50 years (1958-2007), the temperature in Vietnam increased by about 0.5-0.7°C. The temperature for the last four decades (1961-2000) was higher than that of the three previous decades (1931-1960).

According to the climate change scenario developed by MONRE in 2009, by the end of 21st century the annual mean temperature will have increased by 1.6-3.6°C in the North and in the South relative to the baseline period 1980-1999.

Rising sea level

Sea level is rising due to the thermal expansion of water and the melting of continental glaciers (especially at the two poles). The observed sea level data of 1961-2003 shows an increasing rate of rise for the aver-age global sea level of about 1.8 mm/year. This has increased signifi -cantly in the period 1993-2003, with the rate of 3.1 mm/year.

Data from tidal gauges along the Vietnam coast show that sea level was rising at the rate of about 3 mm/year during the period of 1993-2008 which is comparable with the global rate of sea level rise.

According to the climate change scenario developed by MONRE in 2009, by mid 21st century, sea level is projected to have risen by 28-33 cm, and by the end of 21st century, by about 65-100 cm, relative to the baseline period of 1980-1999.

Disaster and extreme weather events

Evidence has shown that, since 1950, there has been a change in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events.

✓ There has been an observed decrease in the overall number of cold days and nights, and an increase in the overall number of warm days and nights in most regions across the globe.

✓ Typhoons: In recent years, there were more typhoons of higher intensity affecting Vietnam. Typhoons are tending to move southwards and the typhoon season is lasting longer. There are increasingly more typhoons that are following unusual tracks.

Some observations of climate change:

52

WORLD(IPCC, 2007b and IPCC, 2012)

VIETNAM (MONRE, 2011)

Disaster and extreme weather events

✓ There is a warming trend in daily temperature extremes across much of Asia, Africa and South America.

✓ The number of heavy precipitation events in some regions has increased.

✓ It is likely that there has been a poleward shift in the main extratropical storm track.

✓ Due to a lack of adequate data, there is limited certainty in prediction of trends of phenomena including tornadoes and storm events.

✓ It is likely that there has been an increase in extreme coastal high tides related to increases in mean sea level in the second half of the 20th century.

✓ Rainfall: Temperature rises are causing rainfall patterns to change. The average annual rainfall has decreased over Northern climate zones but increased over Southern zones. The overall number of heavy rainfall events has increased across the country.

✓ Cold fronts: The overall number of cold fronts has signifi cantly decreased. Irregular events, such as cold snaps are taking place more frequently.

1.3 Climate change history

Throughout history the climate of the earth has changed many times.

(Discovery Channel)

This marks the beginning of the Industrial Revolution when human activities began to affect the global climate system. Since this time, the earth’s climate has continued to warm at an unprecedented rate.

Historical Past

Some researchers believe that humans were almost wiped out around this time due to volcanic eruptions that emitted huge amounts of volcanic dust into the atmosphere. This dust prevented sunlight from reaching the Earth’s surface, and impacted global temperatures.

70,000 years ago

During this time the Earth was experiencing an Ice Age. Most of the North American and Eurasian continents were covered with ice, and sea levels were around 120 meters lower than they are today.

20,000 years ago

Following the Ice Age, the earth’s climate continued to warm, and was punctuated with periods where the earth was cooler.10,000

years ago

This time is known as the “Little Ice Age”. Multiple volcanic eruptions occurred, causing ash and sulphuric acid to block solar radiation, cooling the Earth’s climate.1000 CE

1850 CE

Scientists studying ice core climate records have discovered that the earth is warming much faster than it ever has in the past. Rather than slowly warming over several millennia, the earth’s climate is now changing over a matter of decades and years.

2000 CE

Present

53

1.4 Climate change trends in the 21st century

1.4.1 General information on climate change scenarios

Climate change trends currently and projected into the coming century are largely dependent on the level of greenhouse gas emissions we produce, and the degree to which our socio-economic development is dependent on fossil fuels. Future Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission pathways are the product of very complex dynamic systems, determined by driving forces such as: (i) demographic shifts and consumption patterns, (ii) the levels and nature of socio-economic development, and (iii) technological change.

The future evolution of such driving forces is highly uncertain, and it is diffi cult to predict

with any certainty how these factors will change. Climate change scenarios are used as a way of describing potential futures using these driving forces as descriptive data.

Scenarios are neither predictions nor forecasts, but are assumptions of the future, or alternative futures. Each scenario is one alternative image of how the future might be. They enhance our understanding of how our societal systems evolve and interact and are useful tools to analyse how driving forces may infl uence future emissions outcomes. They assist in climate change analysis, including climate modelling and the assessment of and planning for impacts, adaptation and mitigation (IPCC, 2000).

Basic information about greenhouse gas emission scenarios developed by IPCC and selected climate change scenarios for Vietnam (MONRE, 2011)

In the Special report on emissions scenarios in 2000, IPCC provided 40 emissions scenarios refl ecting relatively diversifi ed possibilities of GHG emissions in the 21st century. These emissions scenarios are classifi ed into 4 groups namely A1, A2, B1 and B2 with the main characteristics as follows:

A1 family: Rapid economic growth; a global population that peaks at nine billion in 2050 and declines thereafter; the rapid introduction of new and more effi cient technologies; a convergence of world-income and way of life, a convergence among regions and increased cultural and social interactions. The A1 scenario group develops into three sub-groups based on their technological emphasis:

- A1FI (A1 - Fossil Fuel Intensive): An emphasis on fossil fuel-intensive energy production (high emissions scenario);

- A1B (A1 - Balanced): An emphasis on balance across all energy sources (medium emissions scenario);

- A1T (A1 - Predominantly non-fossil fuel): An emphasis on non-fossil fuel energy sources (low emissions scenario).

A2 family: A very heterogeneous world; an emphasis on self-reliance and preservation of nations; a continuously increasing population in the 21st century; regionally-oriented economic development; technological change and per capita economic growth are more fragmented and slow (high emissions scenario, similar to A1F1).

54

1.4.2. Proposed climate change and sea level rise scenarios for Vietnam by the end of 21st century

According to the Climate Change, Sea Level Rise Scenarios for Vietnam (MONRE, 2011), the following scenario predictions have been developed:

a. Temperature:

In a low emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, annual mean temperatures would increase by 1.6-2.2°C in large parts of the Northern climatic zones and increase less than 1.6°C in the majority of the South (from Da Nang southward);

In a medium emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, annual mean temperatures would increase by 2-3°C over large parts of the country, from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri in particular. The mean

temperature in this region is projected to rise more rapidly than other areas. The average daily low temperatures would increase by 2.2-3.0°C; the average daily high temperatures would increase by 2.0-3.2°C. The number of days with high temperatures above 35°C would increase by 10-20 days in most parts of the country;

In a high emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, annual mean temperatures would increase by 2.5-3.7°C across most of the country.

b. Rainfall:

In a low emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, annual rainfall is projected to increase by over 6%, but the increase will not be evenly distributed. For example rainfall in the Central Highlands is projected to increase by less than 2%;

B1 family: Characterised by rapid economic growth as in A1, but with rapid changes toward a service and information economy; global population reaches a peak in 2050 and declines thereafter; an emphasis on reductions in material intensity and the introduction of clean and resource-effi cient technologies; the emphasis on global solutions to problems of economic, social and environmental sustainability (low emissions scenario, similar to A1T).

B2 family: Characterised by a continuously increasing population, but at a rate lower than A2; the emphasis is on local rather than global solutions to problems of economic, social and environmental sustainability; intermediate levels of economic development; less rapid and more diverse technological change than in B1 and A1 families (medium emissions scenario, similar to A1B).

Sea level rise scenarios for Vietnam were developed and published in 2009 based on different emissions scenarios, namely low (B1), medium (B2) and high (A2, A1FI). The medium emission scenario, B2, is recommended as a guideline for the Ministries, sectors (i.e. economic, environment, education, health, etc.) and localities to evaluate impacts of climate change and sea level rise, and to build action plans to respond to climatic changes. Based upon the existing studies and results from climatic models in Vietnam, GHG emissions scenarios are selected to update climate change scenarios and sea level rise projections for Vietnam in the report - Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Scenarios for Vietnam 2011. Selected scenarios include B1 (low emissions scenario), B2, A1B (medium emissions scenarios), and A2 and A1FI (high emissions scenario).

55

In a medium emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century annual rainfall would increase across most of the country. The average increase is projected to range from 2-7%, and less than 3% in the Central Highlands and South Central zones. The overall projected rainfall trend is towards a decrease in the dry season and an increase in the wet season. Rainfall intensity is projected to increase relative to the period 1980-1999 in the North and North Central and to decrease in the South Central, Central Highlands and South of Vietnam. Precipitation patterns are projected to shift, with rainfall in some areas set to double.

In a high emissions scenario: annual rainfall by the end of the 21st century is projected to increase across most of the country with the average increase between 2-10%; in the Central Highlands in particular rainfall is projected to increase by around 1-4%.

c. Sea level rise:

In a low emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, the average sea level rise throughout Vietnam is projected to range from 49-64 cm. Sea level is projected to rise highest from Ca Mau to Kien Giang,

with rises of between 54 and 72 cm; and lowest in Mong Cai, with rises of between 42 and 57 cm.

In a medium emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, the average sea level rise throughout Vietnam is projected to range from 57-73 cm. Sea level rise is projected to be highest from Ca Mau to Kien Giang, in the range of between 62 and 82 cm; and is projected to be lowest in Mong Cai, in the range of between 49 and 64 cm.

In a high emissions scenario: by the end of the 21st century, the average sea level rise throughout Vietnam is projected to range from 78-95 cm. Sea level rise is projected to be highest from Ca Mau to Kien Giang, in the range of between 85 and 105 cm; and lowest in Mong Cai, in the range of between 66 and 85 cm.

d. Other climatic variabilities:

Atmospheric pressure is projected to increase across most of the country and across the South China Sea region. Humidity is projected to decrease across most of the country, most signifi cantly in the North East and Southern regions.

With 1 meter of sea level rise, about 39% of the Mekong Delta, over 10% of the Red River Delta and Quang Ninh, over 2.5% of the central coastal provinces and over 20% of Ho Chi Minh City would be at risk of fl ooding. Nearly 35% of the population in the Mekong Delta, more than 9% of the population in the Red River Delta and Quang Ninh, nearly 9% of the population in the central coastal provinces and about 7% of the population in Ho Chi Minh City would be directly affected. More than 4% of the railway system, over 9% of the national highway system and as much as 12% of the provincial highway system will be affected.

56

Topic 2: Causes of climate change

The main cause of climate change is the increased concentration of greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, etc.) in the atmosphere.

According to scientists, the climatic changes which have occurred over the past 150 years have mainly been caused by human activities such as unprecedented exploitation and use of natural resources, especially fossil fuels and other resources such as land and forests. These activities have increased GHG concentrations in the atmosphere.

GHGs and their effect on the Earth.

The Earth’s atmosphere contains some special gases called greenhouse gases. Their name refers to their capacity to warm the Earth in the same way that warm temperatures are maintained in greenhouses for plants. Water vapor (H2O), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), Halocarbons (e.g. CFC), Nitrous oxide (N2O) and Ozone (O3) in the troposphere are the most common GHGs.

These gases act as a blanket for the Earth, maintaining a temperature suitable for human habitation. Without greenhouse gases, all of the Earth’s heat energy would escape into space, causing the average global temperature to drop below a hospitable level.

“The Greenhouse Effect” is the natural process of the atmosphere letting in some of the energy we receive from the Sun and stopping it being transmitted back out into space, trapping it in our atmosphere as heat.

1. Solar energy from the sun passes through the earth’s atmosphere.

2. Some solar energy is then sent back to space.

3. Most solar radiation is absorbed and warms the Earth’s surface.

4. Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere trap some of the heat.

This process is called the “Greenhouse Effect”.

“The Natural greenhouse effect” plays a very important role for life on Earth, without it, the Earth would be too cold and humans and other living things could not survive.

GHGs and the greenhouse effect become a big problem when the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere becomes too high. This is happening right now, with industry, agriculture, transportation and even landfi lls around the world dumping large amounts of GHGs such as CO2, CH4, N2O into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect

2.1 Causes of climate change and the greenhouse effect

57

caused by emissions of GHGs through the human activities mentioned above is called the “enhanced greenhouse effect”.

Global temperatures were largely stable for the thousands of years prior to the Industrial Revolution. During this time human activities did not generate an excess of GHGs.

Since 1850, the Industrial Revolution spread throughout the world, being marked by signifi cant advances in technology, mining, agriculture and transportation.

Humans started to use machines, powered by fossil fuels, which emit GHGs into the atmosphere. The global population explosion in the last two decades has contributed to the increasing GHG concentration in the atmosphere. Consequently, our environment has been degraded.

Gases produced by human activities have made the blanket around the Earth thicker and thicker. Consequently, over the past 150 years the Earth has become hotter and hotter, making the Earth’s climate change signifi cantly.

2.2 Greenhouse gases

2.2.1 Main greenhouse gases

Although nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%) and argon (0.93%) make up 99.93% of the Earth’s atmosphere, they play no role in regulating the Earth’s climate. This role is left to the remaining 0.07% - the greenhouse gases. As mentioned previously, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and halocarbons are the most common GHGs. Some GHGs occur naturally and are emitted into the atmosphere through natural processes while others are created and emitted solely through human activities.

Sources Features

Water vapor

Natural sources include the evaporation of water.

The amount of water vapor generated from human activities is negligible.

As the temperature rises, warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air, making the greenhouse effect stronger.

Atmospheric concentration: levels of atmospheric water vapor vary throughout the world. At the poles water vapor levels are very low whereas in the tropics water vapor can account for up to 4% of the atmosphere.

Atmospheric lifetime: 9-10 days (USGS, 2012).

Water vapour is the largest contributor to the natural greenhouse effect (IPCC, 2007b).

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Natural sources include animal respiration, plant decay, volcanic eruption.

Anthropogenic sources: land-use change and deforestation. Deforestation not only releases the carbon dioxide stored in trees but fewer trees also reduces the Earth’s ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Atmospheric concentration: carbon dioxide comprises a few hundred parts per million in the Earth’s atmosphere (before the industrial revolution, atmospheric concentration was around 278 ppm, and is currently almost 400 ppm).

Atmospheric lifetime: 5-200 years (IPCC, 2001).

It is a major contributor to the enhanced greenhouse effect.

58

Sources Features

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Natural sources include bacterial decomposition of the earth’s soils and oceans.

Human activities: land use change (e.g. cutting down trees to make more space for farming), the use of fertilizers and burning fossil fuels increases atmospheric nitrous oxide.

Atmospheric concentration: less than one-thousandth that of carbon dioxide.

Atmospheric lifetime: 114 years (IPCC, 2007c).

It is responsible for a warming effect 298 times that of carbon dioxide (IPCC, 2007c).

Methane (CH4)

Natural sources include the decomposition of organic material by bacteria. It is also found in wetlands.

Human activities: the majority of methane emissions come from activities like mining (coal, oil, natural gases) and agriculture (rice cultivation in fl ooded paddy-fi elds, and stomach fermentation in animals).

Atmospheric concentration: exists in the atmosphere at a lower concentration than carbon dioxide.

Atmospheric lifetime: 12 years (IPCC, 2007c).

It is responsible for a warming effect 25 times that of carbon dioxide (IPCC, 2007c).

Halocarbons (CFC, HFC, HCFC)

Produced by human activities only. There are no natural sources of halocarbons

Until the mid 1970s, Chlorofl uorocarbons (CFCs), a type of halocarbon, were common in items such as spray cans and cleaners, and as coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators.

From 1987 onwards, governments began to regulate CFCs due to the ozone layer depletion they were causing. Other halocarbon - such as Hydro fl uorocarbons (HFCs), with global warming potential, have now replaced CFCs in many of these products.

Atmospheric lifetime: remains for up to 1700 years in the atmosphere (IPCC, 2007c).

It is responsible for a warming effect thousands of times that of carbon dioxide (IPCC, 2007c).

59

Since the Industrial Revolution the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased 35% - the most signifi cant rate of increase in the Earth’s history. The atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide increased from pre-industrial levels of 280 ppm to 379 ppm in 2005 (IPCC, 2007c). Recent reports have put this fi gure higher, at almost 400 ppm;

Since the Industrial Revolution, atmospheric nitrous oxide levels have increased 18%. Due to its long lifespan, nitrous oxide released today will still be contributing to the greenhouse effect for many decades to come. Current atmospheric methane levels are approximately 2.48 times higher than before the Industrial Revolution;

Whilst HFCs do not deplete the ozone layer, they are greenhouse gases and thus contributes to the greenhouse effect. Furthermore, halocarbons that are released today will have a long-lasting impact on our climate due to the fact that they can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years.

2.2.2 Is “Natural CO2” a bad gas?

Defi nitely not

Greenhouse gases, including CO2, occur naturally in the environment, and play a very important role for life on Earth. These gases keep the Earth warm enough

to sustain life as we know it. In order to produce the energy required for survival, humans and animals breathe in O2 and breathe out CO2. On average, a person will breathe out around 0.04 grams of CO2

in each breath. In contrast to humans and other animals, plants are able to produce the energy they need themselves through photosynthesis. Using sunlight as energy, plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, storing it in the form of glucose which they convert to energy. In addition, CO2 can be emitted into the atmosphere through natural events like volcanic eruptions and the decomposition of animals and plants.

All of the activities mentioned above are an integral part of the carbon cycle, a natural circulation system that previously held the absorption and emission of carbon sources in balance.

2.2.3 Carbon dioxide and the Industrial Revolution

Although there are many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, CO2 contributes the most to the greenhouse effect. The warming effects of CO2 can continue in the atmosphere for as long as 200 years, and it has a signifi cant Global Warming Potential.

The Carbon Cycle (Source: http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/

Water/co2_cycle.html)

GHGs concentration in the period of 1750-2000

60

Before the Industrial Revolution, CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere were around 280 parts per million (ppm);

Since the Industrial Revolution, the atmospheric concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases has rapidly increased up to the current level of 380 ppm. The enhanced greenhouse effect caused by these greenhouse gases has made the planet’s surface temperature increase rapidly, leading to many negative impacts on the Earth’s human and ecological systems.

The UNFCCC defi nes the threshold of dangerous climate change as a two degree increase in global average temperatures above pre-industrial levels. This is likely to be reached when concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere exceed 450 ppm. Beyond this threshold, it becomes increasingly likely that we will see “runaway climate change”, where climate impacts themselves lead to further warming. Once we pass this threshold, major ecosystems will begin to collapse, and climate change will become more diffi cult, if not impossible to control.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2007a), GHG concentrations have been increasing rapidly in recent decades. In 2004, anthropogenic GHG emissions came from the following sources:

Energy supply, industry, transportation and construction contribute the majority of global greenhouse gas emissions:

Energy supply: 25.9%;

Transport: 13.1%;

Industry: 19.4%;

Commercial and residential buildings: 7.9%;

Forestry including deforestation, decay of biomass (after deforestation) and fi re, contribute around 17.4%;

Agriculture processes including soil preparation before planting, fertilizer and other agricultural waste, etc . contributes around 13.5%;

Other activities (including waste and sewage management etc.) contribute around 2.8%.

Global anthropogenic GHG emission in 2004(Source: http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/syr/en/fi gure-2-1.html)

61

Top ten emitting countries by total carbon dioxide emissions and per capita for 2009 (EIA, 2009)

Nations

Total CO2 emissions estimates

(in thousands of metric tonnes)

China 7,706.826

US 5,424.53

India 1,591.126

Russia 1,556.661

Japan 1,097.965

Germany 765.5618

Canada 540.9669

Iran 528.6026

Korea 528.1344

United Kingdom 519.944

NationsTotal CO2 emissions per person estimates

(in metric tonnes)

Gibraltar 151.9837

Virgin island, US 113.7142

Qatar 76.37635

Netherlands Antilles 44.76122

Bahrain 42.55268

United Arab Emirates 40.30058

Trinidad and Tobago 38.60476

Singapore 33.56964

Kuwait 31.0765

Montserrat 28.85417

National GHG inventory in 1994 and 2000 by sector (MONRE, 2010)

(Unit: thousand tonne CO2 e)

Year 1994 2000

Sectors Emission % Emission %

Energy 25,637.09 24.7 52,773.46 35.0

Industrial processes 3,807.19 3.7 10,005.72 6.6

Agriculture 52,450.00 50.5 65,090.65 43.1

Land use, land use change and forestry

19,380.00 18.6 15,104.72 10.0

Waste 2,565.02 2.5 7,925.18 5.3

Total 103,839.30 100 150,899.73 100

2.2.4 Who emits the most GHGs?

(These fi gures are updated annually, and are current as of 2010. If these fi gures are to be used for education purposes, please fi nd updated data available online at:

http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/IEDIndex3.cfm?tid=90&pid=44&aid=8)

62

2.2.5 Carbon footprint

Many human activities produce CO2 and other GHGs from either the production of goods and services, or from day to day activities. Depending on our lifestyle, and the way we produce the goods and services we use, people produce different amounts of GHGs. For example, driving a car will generate less GHGs than fl ying in an aeroplane; producing

electricity from solar energy will emit fewer GHGs than energy produced from coal.

The calculation of our carbon footprint helps us to understand the impact of our day-to-day activities and the production of our goods and services in terms of climate change, and can help us to control GHG emissions and reduce this impact.

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Topic 3: Climate change impacts globally and in Vietnam

3.1.1 Global climate change impacts

Climate change affects all aspects of life on Earth, including the natural environment, human society and human health. There are two levels of impacts from climate change outlined below (UNESCO, 2010):

The primary impacts due to rising temperatures on the physical environment, for example:

Glaciers are now melting at an increased rate;

Global sea levels are rising, this is particularly dangerous in low lying river deltas and for small island states;

Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense - e.g. the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.

We depend on the physical environment for the resources we need to survive - water, food, clothing, shelter, manufactured goods, transport, energy, jobs and recreation. Primary impacts that affect the Earth’s physical systems thus impact the resources we need for survival. Some of the systems that we depend on for survival, and current and projected impacts on these systems, include:

Water - current and projected climate impacts include drought, reduced water quality, threats to water supplies;

Food - impacts include extreme events such as droughts or fl oods threatening crops, diseases affecting crops and livestock, and degradation of soil quality;

Ecosystems - impacts include habitat loss associated with climatic change. This

3.1 Climate change impacts

CLIMATE CHANGE

CAUSESIMPACTS

OBSERVATION

Rising temperatures

Rising sea level

Salinization

Reduced water

security

Food insecurity

Overuse of chemicals

and fertilizers

Unsustainable animal

agriculture

Deforestation

Energy wastage

Use of halocarbons

Overexploitation of fossil fuels

Unsustainable land use

Decreased plant productivity

Disease outbreaks

Changing ecosystem

Loss of forest and biodiversity

Tourism and transport

infrastructure destruction

Melting glaciers

Unusual change of the weather

Intensive natural disasters that are difficult to predict

Climate change impacts mind map

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threatens national reserves, survivability of species and associated global diversity, and the survivability of natural and plantation forests;

Health - impacts include heat stress, vector borne diseases, epidemics associated with changing climatic zones, extreme weather events and increasing vulnerability of at risk groups.

3.1.2 How is Vietnam affected by climate change?

Vietnam is one of the countries that will be most seriously affected by climate change and sea level rise. Impacts will be most signifi cant around the Red River Delta and Mekong Delta (World Bank, 2007). As projected in the Climate Change Scenario and Sea Level Rise for Vietnam in 2009 (MONRE, 2011), if the sea level rises 3 meters, as much as 25% of the population will be directly affected and Vietnam will experience a loss of around 25% GDP.

Impacts on sea level

Vietnam has a long coastline of 3,260 km. Over 80% of the Mekong delta and 30% of the Red River delta - the Thai Binh province - has an elevation of less than 2.5 m above sea level. These areas, particularly the Mekong Delta, will be most affected due to sea level rise. Sea level rise not only causes inundation of mainland areas, forcing people to relocate, but also causes salinization and degradation of soil and the water table, leading to crop failure and loss of agricultural land.

The following scenarios describe potential impacts in relation to projections of sea level rise (SLR):

- SLR of 0.25 m: up to 14% of the Mekong delta provinces, 12% of Ho Chi Minh City and 5% of Thua Thien Hue province will be fl ooded;

- SLR of 0.5 m: as much as 32% of the Mekong delta provinces, 15% of Ho Chi Minh City and 5.6% of Thua Thien Hue

province will be fl ooded. Other areas will be at risk of inundation;

- SLR of 1 m: Up to 67% of the Mekong delta provinces, 21% of Ho Chi Minh City, 11.2% of the Red River Delta, 7.1% of Thua Thien Hue province, and 5.7% of Ba Ria - Vung Tau will be inundated. In Ha Tinh, Quang Ninh, Quang Binh, and Dong Nai, roughly 2.5% of the area will be fl ooded. Flooding will affect less than 1% of other coastal provinces and Ninh Thuan province remains mostly unaffected.

A range of economic sectors will suffer from climate change impacts. These include:

Agriculture: arable farm land is shrinking due to salt invasion and soil erosion;

Forestry: ecosystem value is declining, making sustainable forestry more diffi cult;

Aquaculture: coastal and marine resources are declining, salt water will intrude further inland with sea level rise, thereby damaging fresh water ecosystems;

Transport: roads, waterways, railways, ports will be affected by sea level rise, fl ooding and an increase in extreme weather events.

Tourism: beaches, sight-seeing and accommodation facilities are at risk from sea level rise and an increase in extreme weather events.

Impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity (Vo Quy, 2009)

Biodiversity is a precious resource in Vietnam, however, it is at risk due to climate change. Plants and animals can often only survive within a narrow set of geographic and climatic limitations, such as temperature, elevation and precipitation. They also depend heavily on the other plants and animals within their habitat or ecosystem for food, reproductive requirements, protection or other physiological needs. With a shift in temperature, climate change is causing the natural boundaries of our ecosystems to change. Some impacts are described below:

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Vietnam’s primitive and new-growth forests will be negatively affected with a change in temperature and precipitation patterns;

Animals will be forced to migrate to cooler areas, disrupting entire ecosystems.

Plants and wildlife will be forced to change their breeding and habitation patterns in order to survive:

Flowers will blossom earlier;

Birds will commence migration cycles early;

Many species will begin breeding earlier than before;

Insect species will migrate to colder climates;

There will be increased competition for food and consequently greater crop spoilage due to pest encroachment.

Scientists have discovered that plants in Hoang Lien Son Mountain have moved to higher elevations (with cooler temperature ranges) in order to survive. For example, the Van San Hoang Lien pine, which used to appear at 2200m-2400m can now only be found at 2400m-2700m.

Climate Impacts - natural disasters and extreme weather events

Natural disasters and extreme weather phenomena are projected to occur with greater frequency and intensity and become more diffi cult to predict. These disasters include heavy rainfall events, fl oods, heat waves, storm events, droughts, wildfi re, salinity, and disease epidemics. Their impacts will become more diffi cult to control (MONRE, 2011).

Typhoons: In recent years, intense typhoons causing widespread devastation have appeared more and more often in Vietnam. Typhoons are tending to move southward. The typhoon season is becoming longer and ending later. There have been more typhoons that follow unusual tracks. Typhoons occur when the moist, warm air from the surface

of the ocean rises and meets the cooler air. When the surface temperature of the oceans increases due to warmer temperatures at the Earth’s surface, typhoons form more easily. The air that rises from the ocean’s surface to join the developing storm is hotter and more humid, and as a consequence, the typhoons that develop are becoming big typhoons, or super typhoons.

Floods and droughts: Changing temperature patterns are projected to change precipitation patterns, making rainfall more diffi cult to predict. In places where the rainfall is abundant, precipitation is likely to become more intense. In arid areas, droughts are likely to become more severe. More frequent and severe drought events in the dry season are likely to increase the risk of forest fi res.

Impacts on water resources

Although Vietnam has extensive natural inland water systems, the river and delta regions are likely to suffer growing water shortages due to the fact that a large proportion of the surface water that fl ows through Vietnam depends on neighbouring countries. According to current forecasts, 8.4 million Vietnamese people will be affected by the reduction in fl ows of the Red River and Mekong River (ADB, 2009).

Climate change and sea level rise will change the distribution of Vietnam’s water resources. The changes in precipitation patterns are projected to cause severe fl oods during the wet season and harsh droughts in the dry season.

Droughts lead to water shortages that impact agriculture and cause critical power shortages in cities and regional areas. In summer 2010, high temperatures led to an increased demand for electricity. The drought led to water shortages, which meant less water was available to be used to produce hydropower. This led to severe power shortages throughout the country, especially in big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh.

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Freshwater is also projected to become more limited as salt water intrudes into groundwater with increasing sea level rise.

Impacts on agriculture and food security

The amount of available agricultural land is likely to decline. Tens of thousands of hectares of arable fi elds in lowland coastal plains, the Red River Delta and the Mekong Delta have been affected by saltwater intrusion due to sea level rise and droughts in the dry season. This has a signifi cant impact on agricultural production and national food security;

Rising temperatures, prolonged drought, an increase in disease epidemics and the spread of climate-mediated weeds and pests could all cause declining crop yields into the future;

Livestock and poultry are more likely to suffer widespread epidemics;

Pastures are likely to be negatively affected by the shift in growing seasons; and

The increase of natural disasters is likely to lead to severe loss of crops and livestock in many places. For example, the 2008 damaging cold snap lasted for 38 days and killed 210,000 cattle.

These problems amplify the climate risk to agricultural activities, accelerating food prices and increasing poverty.

Vietnam is still an agricultural nation with more than 70 percent of the population earning their living from agricultural activities. That agriculture is very vulnerable to the effects of climate change presents a serious threat to Vietnam’s future socio-economic development.

Impacts on health

Warmer temperatures facilitate the migration of disease-transmitting insects and parasites such as mosquitoes into new areas, carrying with them such infectious diseases as malaria and dengue fever.

Reduced access to water along with increased frequency and intensity of heat waves also increase the illness burden and incidences of heat related deaths .

The World Health Organization estimates 150,000 deaths annually are due to the effects of climate change, half of which are in the Asia - Pacifi c region (WHO/UNEP).

Impacts on energy, industry, transport and construction

The most vulnerable industrial activities will be in coastal areas and deltas where fl oods frequently occur, where the economy is heavily dependent on climate-sensitive resources, and where extreme weather events are likely to occur, particularly in rapidly urbanizing areas.

Higher average temperatures, together with an increasing number of hot days, escalates the demand for power for cooling and ventilation in industrial activities and transport and daily life, especially in cities and industrial zones.

Changes in the rainfall distribution and water evaporation due to increased temperatures signifi cantly affects water resources and as such impacts on the operation of reservoirs and hydroelectric - energy systems.

Sea level rise and natural disasters, including typhoons, heavy rain and fl ooding, critically affect offshore oil and gas drilling and transportation systems, along with construction, ports, transport and daily life in coastal areas.

3.2 Who are most affected by climate change - people living in poverty and at-risk groups

People living in poverty - who are they?

Poverty is not a problem faced by any particular country, but a problem affecting the whole world. “Poverty is the state of one who cannot sustain his/her needs (both physical and mental) at its minimum”.

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To measure poverty, some indices use income, property, or access to basic social services.

The World Bank has introduced two poverty lines - US$ 1/day and US$ 2/day to ensure international comparability. Based on the poverty line US$ 1/day, 13.1% of Vietnam’s population live in poverty. Based on the poverty line US$ 2/day, 58.5% of Vietnam’s population live in poverty. This means that over half of the population cannot earn VND 40,000/day1.

Who is vulnerable, and why?

A person or a group is considered vulnerable when that individual cannot independently rely on their own resoures, and when support is required to enable safe and active participation within the community.

In practice, vulnerable groups are often faced with one or more the following barriers:

- Lack of economic autonomy (e.g. children, the elderly, women);

- Being physically weak and in need of help from others (e.g. pregnant women, sick people, people living with disabilities, people living with HIV /AIDS);

- Lack of access to information, social activities and other basic services (e.g. ethnic minorities, people living in remote and disadvantaged areas, people living with disabilities).

These groups are vulnerable to shocks in external systems - they can be easily pushed

into situations of poverty or distress after being exposed to shocks affecting their livelihoods.

What is “vulnerability”?

In the face of climate change, vulnerability should be understood as the set of characteristics or conditions that adversely affect individuals and communities in coping with and responding to disaster events.

Vulnerability can be considered by looking at different aspects of sustainable development. People can be vulnerable:

- Economically: at-risk groups have low income, not enough or just barely enough to meet basic living requirements; they live in poor conditions or temporary housing; they cannot afford basic public services such as health services, education and basic sanitation.

- Socially: they are less involved in civic organizations and activities in local communities; they have a lower socio-economic status, and are less able to depend on the social structures available to the broader community.

- Environmentally: they have lived in areas vulnerable to natural disasters for many generations; their living spaces are exposed to waste or sewage discharged by local economic activities.

- Physically: they are weak and/or lack physical independence. They may also experience, or be at risk of experiencing, mental health issues.

1. In Vietnam, the defi nition of poverty is based on average income. According to Decision 09/2011/QD-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on promulgation of poor households, near-poor households criteria to apply for the period between 2011 and 2015, the term ‘poor’ can be applied to those earning an average income of VND 400,000/month (or equivalent to US$ 20/month) for rural areas, and VND 500,000/month (or US$ 25/month) for urban areas.

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Climate change impacts on the vulnerable (VNRC, 2009)

Intrinsic factors infl uencing

vulnerability

Societal factors infl uencing

vulnerability

Factors reducing vulnerability

Children Children are dependent on adults for physical and emotional support;

In early stages of development, children have limited emotional or intellectual awareness of situations that may lead to increased risk;

They can be at risk of becoming emotionally exposed to diffi cult situations;

Children require intensive care and a healthy positive environment for development - if development is occuring in a context of disruption and vulnerability to external shocks - i.e. extreme weather events and disasters, this has the potential to cause harm to children.

Children often have lower social status than adults and their needs are not fully respected;

Children require a comprehensive education to prepare them physically, mentally and emotionally to become positive and effective members of society. If access to appropriate education and care is disrupted for any reason, this may mean that children will suffer developmentally.

They are able to assist their family and community in the event of natural disasters and extreme weather events;

Children play an important role within the family structure, caring for younger children and helping the elderly;

They also play an important role in the community, establishing networks of children their own age and strengthening community ties and social structures;

They can play active positive roles within their schools and communities, often driving activities such as volunteer groups and working for positive change in disasters and other contexts;

Children are effective and fast learners, with fl exible and creative ways of thinking.

Women Women have reproductive health requirements in regard to pregnancy, childbirth and sexual health;

They have limited opportunities for further training and working during the maternity period.

Women and girls experience impacts of gender inequality in some areas;

They have reduced employment opportunities and lower salaries than male colleagues, and are often excluded from high paid jobs;

Women play active roles in family and society, and as such are sensitive to changes in the environment;

Women often play a major role in emergency response and disaster recovery;

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vulnerability

Societal factors infl uencing

vulnerability


Women Social stigma exists and impacts the lives of single women, widows and female-centred households;

Due to social stigma women often have limited social capital and limited opportunities to voice concerns or play an active role in social and community decision making;

Women often have restrictive family commitments and responsibilities;

Women often lack access to social services;

Some women are at risk of becoming victims of domestic or sexual violence.

Women play a direct economic role in production and are often economically independent and mobile;

Women hold their own understandings of gender which has important implications for decision making.

People with disabilities

People living with disabilities are often physically restricted, and so are often less able to access support services;

Without effective support networks and fi nancial stability, people with disabilities can become fi nancially or physically vulnerable to external shocks or disaster situations;

Lack of physical mobility means that people with disabilities often face social isolation;

People living with disabilities are often socially restricted, and so are often less able to access support services.

People with disabilities often face social stigma and active discrimination within society;

Social and fi nancial isolation can limit access to education and economic opportunities. This can turn into a negative feedback, and exacerbate fi nancial problems;

People with disabilities can play an active and important role in society and in disaster management, for example they can contribute to management through activities to raise awareness and disseminate information on climate change;

With effective support, people with disabilities can maintain valuable social networks;

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vulnerability

Societal factors infl uencing vulnerability


People with disabilities

There is still a signifi cant economic disparity between people living with disabilities and the general population;

Due to limited social capital, people with disabilities are often unaware of their rights, and the social support structures available to them.

There is a lack of supportive physical infrastructure, including wheelchair access for public buildings and public transport, and support services;

There is limited planning and support for people with disabilities in emergency management and disaster relief. Logistics planning for evacuation, emergency rescue and emergency shelter often does not effectively provide for the needs of people living with disabilities.

They often have restricted access to information - limited social capital and access to social support networks means that people with disabilities often have poor knowledge of early warning systems; there is an absence of systematised communication channels for the disabled, in particular those with hearing or visual impairment;

They are able to contribute to the policy development for people with disabilities;

They can play an important role in disaster response and relief activities (such as support staff, etc.);

People with disabilities have a valuable insight and experience that can be utilised when planning for safer communities. Through inclusion, representation and participation, safety can be improved for everyone living in the community.

Ethnic minorities

Ethnic minorities often face barriers that reduce their access to education and public information;

Often living in remote, disadvantaged and isolated areas, they have reduced access to social services;

Ethnic minority groups often have a deep and culturally embedded understanding of the natural conditions of their environment;

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vulnerability



Ethnic minorities

Compared with the general population, ethnic minority groups experience high levels of povery;

Inhabiting mainly rural and regional areas, the income and livelihood of many ethnic minority groups is tied directly to weather conditions and the environment, thus increasing their vulnerability to economic shocks associated with extreme weather events;

They often face economic isolation, due to their being physically removed from business centres and lower levels of education

The areas where ethnic minorities live are prone to natural disasters.

Ethnic minority groups have low levels of literacy and numeracy, and often do not speak Vietnamese;

The infrastructure in remote areas is often underdeveloped;

Ethnic minority groups can be socially isolated - many people outside these groups have a limited understanding of the traditions and customs of some the minority groups;

Livelihoods in remote communities are often limited in diversity, and so highly susceptible to economic shocks associated with extreme events;

Individuals and communities living in remote areas often live subsistence lifestyles, and so have a lower economic threshold below which they can withstand shock;

There remains a level of discrimination and prejudice directed towards ethnic minority groups, and a misunderstanding in the community about the rights and value of these groups in contributing to society.

Ethnic minority groups live close to nature, with very low impact lifestyles;

They have a rich cultural identity that is passed from generation to generation;

They have a high level of social and community capital - individuals in communities are well supported;

Minority groups tend to utilise natural resources and the local environment effectively;

With strong, coherent communities, minority groups are able to effectively mobilize the whole community;

They have invaluable indigenous knowledge with highly developed ways of coping with natural disasters and extreme weather events.

The elderly

Elderly people often suffer from poor health and are physically compromised and so are easily affected by environmental factors like heat stress;

Social isolation is often associated with limited opportunities for the elderly to participate in community activities;

Longevity and life experience often results in awareness of environmental changes over time, and lived experience of past extreme weather events and disasters;

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vulnerability



The elderly

Elderly people are often economically vulnerable, which can lead to feelings of insecurity and isolation;

Due to physical restrictions, elderly people may have limited physical mobility.

There is limited active inclusion of the elderly from the wider community, resulting in limited access for the elderly to social structures and services that are available. This includes health care, entertainment and public information.

Associated with social isolation, elderly people may feel uncomfortable depending on their families and children for their basic needs.

They often have deep knowledge of history, and the community often holds a depth of experience in a wide range of fi elds;

Elderly people have a signifi cant level of respect and are able to infl uence the community;

People living in poverty

They face fi nancial hardship;

People living in poverty often face barriers to education, access to health care and social services, and access to economic systems. This means that they often face diffi culty in meeting their basic living requirements;

Because of a lack of access to basic health care, people living in poverty are often at greater risk of experiencing serious illness;

People living in poverty have a low threshold below which they can cope with environmental or economic distruptions.

Because of fi nancial hardship, people living in poverty often live in inadequate or temporary housing, and often live or work in environmentally unsafe conditions, and deal with factors like exposure to poor sanitation or exposure to human or industrial waste;

They face limited access to and use of social services.

People living in poverty often have strong communities, and are able to effectively connect with each other;

Because of necessity, people living in poverty are often fl exible and resourceful in obtaining basic living requirements;

They are often adaptable and can adjust to changing conditions;

The urban poor often have better education than those in rural areas.

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vulnerability



People living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS treatment is costly and requires high level medical and technical support;

People living with HIV/AIDS are often physically compromised and experience poor health, and so are easily affected by environmental factors like heat stress;

Because of the long term and chronic nature of the illness, people living with HIV/AIDS often experience issues associated with mental health and wellbeing.

People living with HIV/AIDS often face social stigma and social isolation as a result of their illness;

They often face barriers to accessing social support services including health care and entertainment.

With effective health care and support networks, people living with HIV/AIDS are able to function as effective and valuable members of society.

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Topic 4: Response to climate change

4.1 Climate change strategies

Climate change is a global issue, and its effects are already being felt by all nations and their peoples. It has become an “emergency situation”, hence we must take urgent action to address it. The world has less than a decade to change. If we act today, we can prevent the risk of its projected catastrophic effects for future generations into the 21st century and beyond.

- Climate Mitigation refers to any actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and associated impacts on the global climate system.

- Climate Adaptation refers to any adjustments to human activities that make us less vulnerable to actual or expected climate change and variability, or better able to exploit benefi cial opportunities.

RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

MITIGATION ADAPTATION

Plant drought resistant and

flood resistant trees and crops

Build and reinforce sea dykes

Change farming

techniques

Teach people in flood hit areas how to swim

Save water

Improve irrigation systems

Change crops to suit changing

weather conditions

Control population

increase Eat more vegetables,

less meat

Use solar energy

Use energy saving light

bulbs

Reduce plastic bag use

Plant trees

Walk, ride a bicycle or go by bus

Turn off lights when not in use

Reduce GHG emissions

Climate action mindmap

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Examples:

Mitigation Adaptation

- Improving energy effi ciency: using energy effi cient devices; avoiding energy wastage.

- Promoting the use of new energy sources and renewable energy such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, tidal and geothermal energy.

- Taking actions to protect and enhance GHG reservoirs and sinks, such as planting and protecting forests, sustainably exploiting forest resources, preventing forest fi res and restoring natural ecosystems like mangroves.

- Reducing GHG emissions from coal mines, oil mining, refi ning and use, landfi ll, and other industry.

- Technological solutions: bio-technology (diversifying crops with fast growing plants, plants resistant to fl oods, droughts and high levels of salinity and plants with high yields); new material technology (e.g. effective insulation and anti-heat materials for buildings); early warning systems for weather and climate change, innovations such as heat-protective clothing.

- Structural solutions: reinforcing breakwaters and sea dykes, strengthening buildings and the construction of strong permanent housing for people in fl ood-prone areas; improving farming and irrigation systems; using new materials in construction with relevant properties (light, sound and heat insulation, improved durability, water resistance).

- Institutional and policy solutions: restricting logging; improving land-use planning to reduce fl oods and inundation; upgrading infrastructure (relocating affected communities and houses where necessary, organizing fl oating clinics); developing favourable credit schemes and agricultural insurance for affected workers.

- Information - Education - Communication: awareness raising. Communicating with people on climate change; teaching swimming for women and children; encouraging communities towards adaptive behaviours - increasing awareness of the elements of people’s lifestyles (diet, shifting industries, changing crop seasons etc.) that are relevant to climate change and climate impacts.

4.2 International efforts combating climate change

The United Nations has made great efforts in the fi ght against global climate change. The Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Kyoto Protocol are key political frameworks through which global solutions are negotiated.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has been effective since March 19, 1994.

The Convention on Climate Change was signed by 154 nations, including Vietnam, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (1992). The Convention sets an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.

“The ultimate objective of this Convention is to achieve stabilization of GHG concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system”.

In order to achieve this goal, the Convention offers measures based on the principles of equity, common but differentiated responsibility, the respective capabilities of each nation, taking into account the socio-economic conditions of developed and developing countries, the need for preventive measures to address adverse impacts of climate change and taking into account that economic development is essential for adopting measures to address climate change.

So far 195 nations have joined this Convention.

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Kyoto Protocol (KP) - effective since February 16, 2005

This Protocol to the UNFCCC was adopted at the third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3) in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997.

The main aim of the Protocol is to achieve the common objectives of the UNFCCC by assisting developing countries to implement sustainable development pathways and to provide a structure to operationalise commitments from developed countries to reduce GHG emissions.

The main achievement of the KP has been to develop and operationalise the emission reduction targets of industrialized countries and to establish three fl exible mechanisms for parties to the Protocol to jointly implement in order to achieve the common objectives. They are:

- Joint Implementation (JI);

- Clean Development Mechanism (CDM): directly related to the developing countries and prioritized; and

- International Emission Trading (IET).

4.3 Vietnam’s efforts to respond to climate change

Recognizing the current and potential future impacts of climate change, Vietnam has participated early in regional and international actions to combat climate change. Vietnam:

► Signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on November 6,1992 and ratifi ed on November 16,1994;

► Signed the Kyoto Protocol on December 3, 1998 and ratifi ed on September 25, 2002;

► Approved the National Target Program to respond to Climate Change in 2008;

► Approved the Law on Energy Saving and Effi ciency in June 2010;

► Approved the National Climate Change Strategy in 2011.

With the commitment of the Communist Party and Government, Vietnam has achieved some signifi cant success recognized by the regional and international communities to respond to climate change. Two important documents that outline Vietnam’s policy response to climate change and serve as the basis for the development of strategies and planning for the country’s sustainable development are the National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change and the National Climate Change Strategy.

National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change (NTP)

The strategic objectives of the NTP are to assess sectoral and regional climate change impacts projected over specifi c periods, to develop feasible action plans to effectively respond to climate change in each short-term/long-term period, to ensure the sustainable development of Vietnam, to maximise opportunities to develop towards a low-carbon economy, and to join the international community’s efforts to mitigate climate change impacts and protect the global climate system.

Specifi c objectives of the NTP are as follows:

To identify aspects of global climate change that will likely affect Vietnam, and to assess climate change impacts (including climate variability, sea level rise and climatic extremes) in every sector and region;

To identify measures to respond to climate change;

To promote scientifi c and technological activities to establish scientifi c and practical foundations for climate change response measures;

To enhance organisational structure, institutional capacity and the development and implementation of policies responding to climate change;

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To enhance public awareness, responsibility, participation and human resource development in response to climate change;

To expand international cooperation to obtain external support in response to climate change, take opportunities to develop towards a low-carbon economy, and join the international community’s efforts to effectively protect the global climate system;

To incorporate the NTP into socio-economic development strategies, and strategies of sectoral and local development;

To develop action plans for all ministries/sectors and localities to respond to climate change and to implement pilot projects to respond to climate change.

The NTP is implemented nationwide in three phases: Phase I - Start up (2009-2010); Phase II - Implementation (2011-2015); and Phase III - Development (2011-2015).

National Climate Change Strategy 2011

Overall objectives:

To ensure sustainable utilization of national resources; carry out adaptation measures and GHG emissions reduction; safeguard life, livelihoods and property; ensure sustainable development goals are met;

Strengthen human and natural system resilience to climate change; develop the low-carbon economy to protect and enhance quality of life; ensure national security and sustainable development in the light of climate change and work with the international community to protect the global climate system.

Specifi c objectives

Ensure food, energy and water security, ensure poverty alleviation, gender equality, social security and public health, enhance living standards and conserve natural resources in the context of climate change;

Consider the development of the low-carbon economy and green growth as principles in achieving sustainable development; develop methods for including GHG emissions reduction and sequestration plans in plans for social and economic development;

Raise awareness, involvement, and coping capacity of stakeholders; strengthen scientifi c and technological potential and human resources; strengthen institutional arrangements to utilise fi nancial assistance, enhance the economic competitiveness and status of Vietnam; take advantage of climate change opportunities for social and economic development; and increase awareness by promoting climate - friendly behaviours; and

Work with the international community in addressing climate change and increase international cooperation to address climate change effectively.

4.4 What you can do

Governments and International, National and Local Organizations have been taking leadership in mitigating and adapting to climate change. Addressing climate change, however, requires contributions from all of us. Below are some things that you can do to make a difference:

EDUCATE YOURSELF. Stay informed about the latest technology and your government’s policies and laws for addressing climate change. This will help you to develop an appropriate and targeted idea of how you can be part of the solution to this urgent and important problem.

BE THE CHANGE. Taking action on climate change starts with you. Our greenhouse gas emissions are a direct result of our activities - our energy use, transportation choices and shopping habits. However, you have the power to act and reduce your emissions. At home and at work, in the street and when shopping, you can use your awareness of climate change to

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reduce your emissions, and encourage others to reduce their emissions too. Here are some simple tips to help you save energy in your home:

At home

- Lights: use natural light whenever you can during the day. At night, use energy saving light bulbs;

- Electronics: unplug your TV, computer and mobile phone charger. They still use power even when they are not in use. Unplugging these devices helps both to save electricity and to lengthen their lifespan;

- Hot water: turn the water-heater to medium rather than high and be aware that water-heaters consume a lot of electricity. Where possible, install solar water heaters;

- Air conditioning: avoid using air conditioning on cooler days - use fans and natural ventilation wherever possible. If you do use air conditioning, set it at 26°C or warmer. Air conditioning is the fastest growing use of energy in Vietnam, often contributing to power failures in hot weather;

- Keep your house green: refrain from using chemicals harmful to our health and the environment. Replace these with plant-based products and environmentally friendly alternatives;

- Change your diet: include more vegetables in your meal. This is both better for your health and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

- Reduce waste: when it breaks down, waste releases methane. Use recyclable packaging and buy long-lasting products. Compost organic waste or use it as fertilizer.

On the Street

- Go Green: walking or cycling short distances saves fuel and helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

- Share rides with friends and colleagues (to work or when socialising) where possible.

At School/Work

- Cut down on paper. Paper currently accounts for 70% of offi ce waste. Only print if necessary. If you do have to print or photocopy, remember to print double-sided;

- Create a green culture: make signs reminding people to save water and electricity in wash-rooms, classrooms and workplaces. Let people know how much energy and water they can save through these simple changes.

When you shop

- Don’t use plastic bags: they can take decades to break down and accumulate in the environment, choking waterways and damaging wildlife. Always remember to bring your own shopping bag;

- Choose energy-saving devices: many electrical appliances such as refrigerators, air-conditioners and computers now carry energy-saving labels;

- Buy locally produced products: the things we buy, from food to clothes and electronics, all result in greenhouse gas emissions. By purchasing locally produced goods, you support local industries and cut down on transport emissions.

Within your community

- Plant trees and help to protect forests and oceans. Trees help to slow climate change because they absorb carbon dioxide. Oceans also absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide;

- Teach children and women to swim because it will help them protect themselves during rainy seasons;

- Learn about and apply climate change adaptation activities in your local area. Support vulnerable groups and regions;

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- Check information and prepare well before any activity/event to adapt to the changes of the weather.

GREEN YOUR OCCUPATION. Find out how to apply sustainability principles in your work. If you are a teacher, discuss these concepts with your students. If you work in building and construction, think about how to apply sustainability concepts to your constructions and designs. If you work in an offi ce, think about your energy and paper use. Does your company produce goods or deliver services? Think about the way you do business, and how you could change it to reduce your impact on our environment and the climate.

COMMUNICATION - EDUCATION. Share your ideas and knowledge with friends, family and teachers to promote environmentally friendly behaviors.

VOLUNTEER. Contribute your knowledge, skills and labour to environmental activities. Your involvement has the potential to profoundly impact sustainable development efforts in your local community.

CONNECT AND MOBILIZE COLLECTIVE ACTIONS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE.

“Together we can change the world”

80

REFERENCES

1. ADB, 2009. The Economics of Climate Change in South East Asia: A regional review. [internet] http://www.adb.org/Documents/Books/Economics-Climate-Change-SEA, last retrieved 13/3/2012.

2. ADEME, Our Planet Under Water.

3. Discovery Channel, Climate Change History. In Global Warming: What you need to know. [internet] http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/globalwarming/timeline/timeline.html, last retrieved 29/02/2012.

4. EIA, 2009. [internet] http://www.eia.gov/cfapps/ipdbproject/iedindex3.cfm?tid=90&pid=44&aid=8&cid=all,&syid=2009&unit=MMTCD, last retrieved 15/05/2012

5. MHEN, 2010. Climate change and Impacts in Vietnam. [internet] http://www.cbcc.org.vn/an-pham-2013-tai-lieu/an-pham/sa301ch-111a303-xua301t-ba309n/bie301n-111o309i-khi301-ha323u-va300-ta301c-111o323ng-o309-vie323t-nam, last retrieved 15/05/2012.

6. IMHEN, 2011. Guideline for Climate Change Impact Assessment and Identifi cation of Adaptation Solutions, Vietnam Resources-Environment and Map Publishing House.

7. IPCC, 2000. IPCC Special Report Emission Scenarios. http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/sres/emission/index.php?dp=0, last retrieved 15/6/2012.

8. IPCC, 2001. Climate Change 2001: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II, and III to the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Watson, R.T. and the Core Writing Team (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and New York, NY, USA, pp 38.

9. IPCC, 2007a. Climate change 2007: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [internet] http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_ipcc_fourth_assessment_report_synthesis_report.htm, last retrieved 15/5/2012.

10. IPCC, 2007b. IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate change 2007. Contribution of Working Groups I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and New York, NY, USA.

11. IPCC, 2007c. Errata. In Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Contribution of Working Groups I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [internet] http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/errataserrata.html, last retrieved 13/3/2012.

12. IPCC, 2012. IPCC Special Report. Managing the Risk of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation, pp 122-190. [internet] http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/publications_and_data_reports.shtml#SREX, last retrieved 15/6/2012.

13. Live&Learn, 2010. Adapting to Climate Change - Solomon Islands.

81

14. MONRE, 2008. National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change. [internet] http://occa.mard.gov.vn/Modules/CMS/Upload/10/SuKien/091102/CTMTQG_27_7_08.pdf, last retrieved 15/05/2012.

15. MONRE, 2010. Vietnam’s Second National Communication to The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

16. MONRE, 2011. Climate Change, Sea Level Rise Scenarios for Vietnam

17. National Climate Change Strategy. Decision number 2139/QD-TTG dated 05/12/2011 signed by the Prime Minister.

18. Oxfam, 2008. Vietnam: Climate Change, Adaptation and Poor People.

19. Tread lightly, 2010. Teacher toolkit. Version 2.0.

20. UNDP, 2008. Human Development Report 2007/2008. Fighting Climate Change: Human solidarity in a divided world.

21. UNESCO, 2010. Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future, Module 19. [internet] http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod19.html, last accessed 15/06/2012.

22. USGS, 2012. Water cycle (Trần Thục, Trần Văn Phúc và Phùng Thị Thu Trang - Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment translated). [internet] http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercyclevietnamese.html, last retrieved 20/3/2012.

23. VNRC, 2010. Introduction to Community Based Disaster Management.

24. Vo Quy, 2009. Climate change and biodiversity in Vietnam. Bulletin of Hanoi National University, number 219.

25. World Bank, 2007. Impacts of Sea Level Rise on Developing Countries: A comparative analysis. World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 4136.

26. WHO/UNEP. The Health and Environment Linkage Initiative, Climate Change, [internet] http://www.who.int/heli/risks/climate/climatechange/en/index.html, last retrieved 20/6/2012.

82

Website

http://www.ccfsc.gov.vn/KW376B3F/An-pham--Tu-lieu.aspx

http://cema.gov.vn/modules.php?name=Doc&op=detaildoc&pid=212

http://www.eslfl ow.com/eslfl owPDFlessons.html

http://www.tuoitre.com.vn/Tianyon/Index.aspx?ArticleID=320035&ChannelID=2

http://www.thoitietnguyhiem.net/general/introduce.aspx?page=101

http://www.dauvetcacbon.com/

http://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/faq-1-1.html

http://suckhoedoisong.vn/201003241025252p0c19/bien-doi-khi-hau-va-suc-khoe.htm

http://occa.mard.gov.vn/Content/Can-co-bien-phap-cham-dut-canh-trau-bo-chet-vi-gia-r%C3%A9t/2011/2/13/29096.news

PART 3. HANDOUTS

Handout 1.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Handout 2.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Handout 3.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Handout 4.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Handout 5.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

1

15.0

Degrees celsius

15.4

14.0

13.5

13.0 18

8019

0019

2019

4019

6019

8020

00So

urce

: NA

SA G

ISS

Han

dout

1.1

Glo

bal a

vera

ge s

urfa

ce te

mpe

ratu

re in

the

perio

d 18

80-2

008

2

Source: Windows to the Universe, http://windows2universe.org/National Earth Science Teachers Association

The famous Muir Glacier in US in 1976 (above) and in 2003 (below)

Handout 1.2

Melting glacier

3

Han

dout

1.3

a D

roug

ht

4

Han

dout

1.3

bFl

ood

5

Han

dout

1.3

cD

isas

ter a

nd e

xtre

me

wea

ther

eve

nts

6

Handout 2.1

Greenhouse effect

7

1000

250

270

290

310

330

350

370

390

1100

1200

1300

1400

1500

1600

1700

1800

1900

2000

Sour

ce: N

OA

A/E

SRI;

Wor

ldw

atch

Parts per millionH

ando

ut 2

.2

Atm

osph

eric

CO

2 con

cent

ratio

n in

the

perio

d 10

00-2

008

8

La

rges

t co

ntrib

utor

to

the

natu

ral

gree

nhou

se

effe

ct.

A

tmos

pher

ic c

once

ntra

tion:

leve

ls o

f co

ncen

tratio

n va

ry th

roug

hout

the

wor

ld.

At t

he p

oles

it is

ver

y lo

w w

here

as in

the

tropi

cs it

can

acc

ount

for u

p to

4%

of t

he

atm

osph

ere.

A

tmos

pher

ic li

fetim

e: 9

-10

days

P

lays

an

impo

rtant

role

in re

gula

ting

the

Ear

th’s

clim

ate

H

uman

act

iviti

es: h

ave

only

a

smal

l infl

uen

ce o

n th

e co

ncen

tratio

n.

N

atur

al

sour

ces:

ani

mal

re

spira

tion,

pla

nt

deca

y, v

olca

nic

erup

tion.

A

tmos

pher

ic c

once

ntra

tion:

mak

es u

p a

few

hu

ndre

d pa

rts p

er m

illio

n of

the

atm

osph

ere

(cur

rent

ly a

roun

d 40

0ppm

).

A

tmos

pher

ic li

fetim

e: 5

-200

yea

rs9 .

G

loba

l war

min

g po

tent

ial:

maj

or c

ontri

buto

r to

the

enha

nced

gre

enho

use

effe

ct.

H

uman

act

iviti

es: t

he b

urni

ng

of fo

ssil

fuel

s, la

nd-u

se

chan

ge a

nd d

efor

esta

tion.

D

efor

esta

tion

not o

nly

rele

ases

this

gas

sto

red

in tr

ees

but f

ewer

tree

s al

so re

duce

the

Ear

th’s

ab

ility

to re

mov

e it

from

the

atm

osph

ere.

Water vapor Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Han

dout

2.3

G

reen

hous

e ga

ses

card

s (c

ut th

e ca

rds

sepa

rate

ly)

9

S

ourc

es in

clud

e or

gani

c m

ater

ial

deco

mpo

sitio

n by

ba

cter

ia, f

ugiti

ve

emis

sion

s fro

m g

as

and

coal

min

ing

and

emis

sion

s fro

m

wet

land

s.

A

tmos

pher

ic c

once

ntra

tion:

exi

sts

in th

e at

mos

pher

e at

low

er c

once

ntra

tions

than

car

bon

diox

ide.

A

tmos

pher

ic li

fetim

e: 1

2 ye

ars.

G

loba

l war

min

g po

tent

ial:

resp

onsi

ble

for a

w

arm

ing

effe

ct 2

5 tim

es th

at o

f car

bon

diox

ide.

H

uman

act

iviti

es: t

he

maj

ority

of i

ts e

mis

sion

s co

me

from

act

iviti

es li

ke

min

ing

(coa

l, oi

l, na

tura

l ga

ses)

and

agr

icul

ture

(fl

ood-

irrig

ated

rice

cu

ltiva

tion,

sto

mac

h fe

rmen

tatio

n in

ani

mal

s).

S

ourc

es in

clud

e:

bact

eria

l de

com

posi

tion

of

the

earth

’s s

oils

and

oc

eans

.

A

tmos

pher

ic c

once

ntra

tion:

less

than

one

-th

ousa

ndth

that

of c

arbo

n di

oxid

e.

A

tmos

pher

ic li

fetim

e: 1

14 y

ears

.

G

loba

l war

min

g po

tent

ial:

resp

onsi

ble

for a

w

arm

ing

effe

ct 2

98 ti

mes

that

of c

arbo

n di

oxid

e.

H

uman

act

iviti

es: l

and

use

chan

ge, t

he u

se o

f fe

rtiliz

ers

and

burn

ing

foss

il fu

els

incr

ease

s its

con

cent

ratio

n in

the

atm

osph

ere.

P

rodu

ced

by: t

hese

G

HG

s ha

ve n

o na

tura

l sou

rce,

an

d ar

e pr

oduc

ed

entir

ely

by h

uman

ac

tiviti

es

A

tmos

pher

ic c

once

ntra

tion:

muc

h lo

wer

than

ca

rbon

dio

xide

.

A

tmos

pher

ic li

fetim

e: re

mai

ns in

the

atm

osph

ere

for u

p to

170

0 ye

ars.

G

loba

l war

min

g po

tent

ial:

resp

onsi

ble

for a

w

arm

ing

effe

ct u

p to

thou

sand

s of

tim

es th

at o

f ca

rbon

dio

xide

.

C

FCs,

an

exam

ple

of th

is

grou

p of

GH

Gs,

wer

e co

mm

on in

item

s su

ch

as s

pray

can

s, c

lean

ers

and

cool

ants

up

until

the

1970

s.

Methane (CH4) Halocarbons (CFC, HFC, HCFC)

Nitrous oxide (N2O)

Han

dout

2.3

G

reen

hous

e ga

ses

card

s(c

ut th

e ca

rds

sepa

rate

ly)

10

Han

dout

2.4

H

uman

act

iviti

es a

nd g

reen

hous

e ga

s em

issi

ons

11

Hello, I will tell you a story about two little friends. One friend is Hugo living in a big European city. The other is Lan, living in a beautiful mountainous village in Asia. Let’s see what today is like for the two friends.

Well, the two friends have a very different life, don’t they? Class discussion - “who produces the most carbon dioxide”? Why?

(Adapted from the story “Our planet under water”, ADEME)

A new day begins! Hugo wakes up, brushing his teeth and cleaning his face. There is a basin in his bathroom. He turns off the tap while brushing his teeth. When Hugo leaves his room, he forgot to turn off the lights.

This morning it rains. Lan wakes up early. She uses water stored in the bucket for brushing her teeth. Lan’s parents store rain water in a lot of buckets for daily use. After cleaning her face, Lan uses the water for watering the vegetable garden.

For breakfast, Hugo and his sister like milk and cereal, which his Dad buys wrapped in plastic packaging. There are two dustbins in his house, one for the food scraps and the other for non-degradable waste.

Her mother cooks rice for Lan and her brother and uses vegetables from the garden. It is delicious! Lan puts the leftovers into containers to feed the pigs and chickens.

Time to go to school! Hugo goes to school by bus, while many of his friends are taken to school in their parents’ cars. It is very cold outside but very warm in his class as the school uses a heater.

In the afternoon, Hugo and friends attend an energy audit session run by the Environment club at school. Hugo understands that there are many ways to save energy. For example, Hugo will ask his parents to buy energy-saving bulbs to replace the light bulbs at home.

The rain stops. Lan walks to school. Today her class organizes a party celebrating the end of the school year. They have a lot of candies and soft drink packaged in plastic bottles and pack-aging.

After the party Lan collects the leftover plastic cups and tin cans with friends. They sell them to people who recycle them. They have earned a small amount of money contributing to the class fund.

The lesson is over. Hugo’s mother picks him up by car and goes shopping. She always carries a cloth bag when shopping. Wow, she buys a lot of things. The refrigerator is fi lled with processed foods and foods imported from other countries.

Lan walks home with her friend. She helps her mother cook and do gardening. Every day her mother goes to the market to buy fresh meat. She uses plastic bags to carry the shopping because of its convenience.

Lan grows some vegetables for daily meals. She sees some of her neighbors use fertilizer so that their plants grow quickly and produce more fruit that can be sold.

In the evening, after he has fi nished his exercises, Hugo is allowed to watch television. Hugo’s sister is listening to music on her CD player given to her by her parents.

It is after 10 pm and Hugo feels sleepy. Fortunately, Hugo remembered to turn off the television and lights before going to bed.

Lan helps her mother wash dishes and clean the house. In the evening, especially on the full moon day, neighbors and friends gather at Lan’s house to watch TV or dance together. They have a lot of fun.

When it gets late, Lan and her family turn off all the lights and go to bed.

Handout 2.5

A story about Hugo and Lan

12

Han

dout

2.6

Yo

ur c

arbo

n fo

otpr

int

Cal

cula

te y

our c

arbo

n fo

otpr

int!

1. W

hen

it is

hot

, you

coo

l you

r roo

m b

y:

a. A

ir co

nditi

oner

(3)

b. F

an (2

)

c. N

atur

al v

entil

atio

n (y

our r

oom

kee

ps c

ool b

y its

elf

beca

use

it is

wel

l des

igne

d an

d in

sula

ted)

(0)

2. W

hen

you

are

not

usin

g th

e el

ectr

ical

dev

ices

at

hom

e (T

V, fa

ns a

nd c

ompu

ters

):

a. Y

ou u

sual

ly le

ave

them

runn

ing

(3)

b. S

omet

imes

you

turn

them

off

or le

ave

them

in s

tand

-by

m

ode

(2)

c. Y

ou le

ave

them

in s

tand

-by

mod

e (1

)

d. Y

ou a

lway

s tu

rn th

em o

ff an

d un

plug

them

(0)

3. D

o yo

u ha

ve e

nerg

y sa

ving

dev

ices

or u

se s

olar

ene

rgy?

You

:

a. D

o no

t hav

e an

y en

ergy

sav

ing

devi

ces

in y

our h

ouse

(3)

b. T

here

are

som

e en

ergy

sav

ing

devi

ces

in y

our h

ouse

(1)

c. A

ll or

mos

t of

the

dev

ices

in

your

hou

se a

re e

nerg

y sa

ving

(0)

4. F

or g

ettin

g ar

ound

, you

usu

ally

use

:

a. P

rivat

e ca

r (10

)

b. M

otor

bike

(5)

c. B

us (1

)

d. B

icyc

le o

r wal

king

(0)

5. Y

our d

iet c

onsi

sts

of:

a. A

lot o

f mea

t and

not

man

y ve

geta

bles

(3)

b. B

oth

mea

t and

veg

etab

les

(2)

c. A

lot o

f veg

etab

les

and

som

etim

es v

eget

aria

n fo

od (

1)

d. M

ostly

veg

etar

ian

food

(0)

6. Y

ou re

-use

old

stu

ff or

recy

cle:

a. N

ever

(3)

b. S

omet

imes

(2)

c. F

requ

ently

(0)

13

Han

dout

3.1

a C

limat

e ch

ange

impa

cts

14

Handout 3.1b

Climate change impacts mind map

15

Handout 3.2

Causes, impacts and effects of climate change cards

CAUSES IMPACTS EFFECTS

Exploitation and use of

fossil fuelsRising temperature Reduced crop yields

Unsustainable land use

Melting iceTransport

infrastructure put under pressure

Deforestation, burning of forests

Rising sea levelDestroyed tourist

infrastructure

Unsustainable livestock production

Disasters and extreme weather events

becomemore frequent and intense, and more diffi cult to predict

Saltwater intrusion and inundation

Overuse of chemical fertilizers

Changes in rainfall patterns

Deforestation and forest degradation

Ineffi cient use of energy

Changes in monsoon patterns

Increasing levels of water insecurity

Use of halocarbons as coolants in industrial

processes

Changes in ecosystems

Increasing levels of food insecurity

Rising incidences of epidemics

16

Case study A

46 year-old Ho Si Thuan and his wife Nguyen Thi Theo live in the lowland village of Luong Dien in the Hai Son commune. They have a rice paddy but they also farm a second rice paddy for another family and grow some vegetables. They have fi ve sons. All their sons can swim. Thuan can swim because he says that if you live in Luong Dien and don’t know how to swim, there is a risk you may have an accident and drown. Theo cannot swim. She says she is too scared to get into the water to learn.

The frequency of the fl ooding is worse compared to ten years ago. 1999 was the worst year, but last year was pretty bad. In October we had water up to our knees for four days. It used to only fl ood twice a year, but now it happens four times a year. It starts earlier in the year too.

Last year we made sure we harvested the rice before the main fl ooding season, but we lost our cassava, sweet potatoes and beans.

It was so cold in February that we lost this years rice crop. We planted again but it rained heavily in April so we lost it again.

When the fl ooding comes, we put everything up on the platform-food, things to cook with, even the pigs and chickens we put in cages up there. Unfortunately last year we lost the cage with the chickens in it when the fl oods came.

The children were very frightened because the wind and the rain were so strong. Someone from the rescue team came

with a boat and took them to the school, which is stronger and made of concrete.

We have training every year for the fl oods. The trainers are from the commune. We take enough food for seven days. We know we have to prepare well for the fl oods. But we could do with more boats and life jackets. We cannot move from the area because it is too expensive to buy land elsewhere.

We don’t know why the weather is changing. We don’t know why our farming is being so badly affected. We are very worried about losing our home, about losing our crops, about going hungry’.

(Source: Oxfam, 2008. Vietnam: Climate change, Adaptation and Poor people).

Photo Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen/Oxfam

Handout 3.3

Stories of climate change and its impacts

17

Case study B

58-year-old Le Thi Nay lives with her family in the highland village of Tram Son, which belongs to the Hai Son commune. She has lived all her life in the village, and can see the weather changing. In the last three years, the weather has been more extreme than she can remember.

‘Twenty years ago, being a farmer seemed extremly easy as the weather was predictable - it wasn’t so hot in the dry season and there was less fl ooding. Lately, we can only harvest about 200 kgs, and it is poor quality so we have to feed it to the pigs. This year, it was very cold and the rice seedlings died.

Part of the year we now plant sweet potatoes in the fi eld where we were growing rice. There are several reasons for this: we can eat half of them and keep half for the winter, and we can feed the leaves to the pigs. Sweet potatoes can survive the dry season better than rice but even they cannot survive severe fl ooding.

We have had a special wooden platform in our house since 1990. About a third of the households in this village have a platform, but in the lower-lying villages, all of them have it. We make sure we store enough food on the platform for ten days when the main fl ooding season comes.

We are very concerned about the weather. We may not have enough food to eat this year because we haven’t had a rice crop. Many people in our village now go up to the forest because they can’t grow enough rice. They go up to collect wood, or to try and fi nd the scrap metal and artillery left by the Americans during the war. I haven’t been there for several years, but they say it is much more diffi cult now to fi nd any metal. You can earn up to 100,000 dong (US$6) a day doing that, but it can be very dangerous. Our sons work as labourers, so we can live off their income, and we don’t have to go to the forest’.

(Source: Oxfam, 2008. Vietnam: Climate change, Adaptation and Poor people).

Photo: Nguyễn Thị Hoàng Yến/Oxfam

Handout 3.3


18

Case study D

The disabled become more vulnerable in the face of climate change

Mr. Nguyen Van Rot is unemployed because he is blind and was injured in an accident in 1974. His injuries led to a disability. Without any income, he must rely on his brother who is a construction worker. He said: “In the future, there will be more rain, heat waves and typhoons. I am afraid of the cold snaps most because I am old and weak. The elderly have special needs, particularly if they are poor and alone. They need to be provided with mosquito nets, blankets, medicines and food at the right time”.

Case study C

When can I come back to school?

“We live in a place that fl oods regularly. After each typhoon, we fi nd it very hard to go to school because it takes a long time for the fl oodwater to recede. The road is fi lled with mud and strewn with fallen trees. Often, during a school year we have to miss 7-10 days just because of the fl ooding. The houses leak. Books get wet and damaged. Sometimes we have to buy new ones, which cost a lot, and many of us cannot afford to. So we have to wait for aid before we can go back to school. Some of us have already left school because of such diffi culties. After the typhoon in 2006, many of us lost our belongings, our houses collapsed or the roofs on our houses were blown away. We lost books and clothes”.

(Students in cluster 37, Hoa Hiep Bac ward, Lien Chieu district, Da Nang city).

Handout 3.3


19

Case study E

The increased concerns of the elderly for their property and livelihoods in natural disasters

Mrs.Nguyen Thi Buoi (65 years old) and her family are living in Dai Dong commune, Dai Loc District, Quang Nam province. Their family was affected by typhoon number 9 in September 2009. Mrs Nguyen lost rakes and hoes, the only farming tools that she owned, and which she needed for her family to earn a living. Her four sons have two plots of land which sometimes crop well, sometimes not. Her family has had a hard life, and it has become more diffi cult in the aftermath of the typhoon. The heavy rain had washed away her house, furniture and all her belongings overnight. Now she has nothing. With the help of her neighbours in the village, she has put up a temporary tent, though it does not shelter her from the wind and rain. Her whole family lives in this one cramped tent. At the moment, to have something to eat and a place to sleep is good enough for her family.

http://dantri.com.vn/c167/s167-355489/chia-se-kho-khan-voi-nguoi-dan-noi-bao-lu-di-qua.htm

Handout 3.3


20

Source: Hoang Chien/PanNature


Handout 3.4

Sets of photos on climate change impacts

21


Source: Nguyen Thi Hoang Yen/Oxfam

Handout 3.4


22



Handout 3.4


23

Source: Plan in Vietnam


Handout 3.4


24



Handout 3.4


25



Handout 3.4


26



Handout 3.4


27



Handout 3.4


28



Handout 3.4


29



Handout 3.4


30

Teac

h w

omen

and

chi

ldre

n in

fl oo

d pr

one

area

s ho

w to

sw

im.

Incr

ease

affo

rest

atio

n, p

artic

ular

ly in

wat

ersh

ed fo

rest

are

as a

nd

man

grov

es.

Ens

ure

effe

ctiv

e ea

rly w

arni

ng s

yste

ms

and

prep

are

wel

l for

dis

aste

rs.

Con

serv

e in

dige

nous

spe

cies

.

Pla

nt a

nd m

aint

ain

man

grov

e fo

rest

s.U

se e

nerg

y sa

ving

app

lianc

es in

hou

seho

lds

Bui

ld s

afe

and

stro

ng h

ouse

s to

pro

tect

aga

inst

fl oo

ds in

coa

stal

are

as

of C

entra

l Vie

tnam

and

the

Mek

ong

Del

ta.

Use

sol

ar e

nerg

y fo

r ind

ustri

al a

nd h

ouse

hold

equ

ipm

ent a

nd

mac

hine

s.

Use

wat

er re

sour

ces

effe

ctiv

ely.

Use

bio

gas

in h

ouse

hold

coo

king

.

Bui

ld a

nd re

info

rce

sea

dyke

s.Li

mit

the

use

of a

gric

ultu

ral c

hem

ical

s.

Impr

ove

the

effi c

ienc

y of

irrig

atio

n sy

stem

s.

App

ly S

RI (

syst

em o

f ric

e in

tens

ifi ca

tion)

.

Pla

nt s

peci

es re

sist

ant t

o fl o

ods

and

drou

ghts

. W

alk

or ri

de b

icyc

les

for s

hort

dist

ance

trav

el.

Cha

nge

crop

ping

sea

sons

and

farm

ing

tech

niqu

es.

Pla

nt tr

ees,

take

car

e of

fore

sts

and

prev

ent f

ores

t fi re

s.

Use

mac

hine

s an

d eq

uipm

ent t

hat i

mpr

ove

prod

uctiv

ity a

nd re

duce

en

ergy

use

in m

anuf

actu

re.

Pra

ctic

e w

ater

sav

ing

tech

niqu

es, a

nd p

rovi

de re

min

ders

or s

igns

in

rest

room

s, k

itche

ns, a

nd in

wor

kpla

ces.

Con

trol p

opul

atio

n gr

owth

.C

arpo

ol w

ith fr

iend

s or

col

leag

ues

to s

choo

l or w

ork

whe

re p

ossi

ble.

Was

h ha

nds

befo

re e

atin

g.

Red

uce

plas

tic b

ags

whe

n sh

oppi

ng.

Red

uce,

reus

e an

d re

cycl

e - l

imit

was

te/ru

bbis

h. C

lass

ify w

aste

/ru

bbis

h fo

r reu

se a

nd re

cycl

ing.

Buy

dur

able

, non

disp

osab

le g

oods

th

at h

ave

a lo

nglif

e.

Est

ablis

h en

viro

nmen

tal c

lubs

/gro

ups

at s

choo

l to

carr

y ou

t ini

tiativ

es

for e

nviro

nmen

tal p

rote

ctio

n.

Han

dout

4.1

R

espo

nse

to c

limat

e ch

ange

car

ds

(cut

the

card

s se

para

tely

)

31

Group 1: The United States

- The United States is one of the world’s leading producers of GHG emissions. American automobiles, numbering approximately 130 million in total, constitute around 25% of the world’s vehicles.

- It has been one of the least cooperative players in international climate change negotiations. It chose not to ratify the Kyoto Protocol - a legally binding treaty under the UNFCCC developed in 2005.

- For the United States to ratify the legally binding climate change instrument, it’s international commitments would have to align closely with domestic policies focused on job creation and energy independence and balance both environmental and economic aims.

- As one of the world’s richest countries, the United States is also one of the least vulnerable to climate change impacts, with abundant resources available to fund adaptation measures.

Group 2: China, India and emerging economies (Russia, Brazil, Korea, Mexico)

- China and India are among the fastest growing economies in the world. - With considerable populations and large geographic areas, these countries are

gaining considerable power in international trade and political systems. Their growing populations aspire to reach levels of affl uence, with the associated increase in private consumption.

- The rapid economic development that has taken place in China and India has had the benefi t of lifting incredible numbers of people out of poverty. However, this has come at a huge environmental cost, as both countries have been relying heavily on burning coal to produce energy, releasing a considerable amount of GHGs into the atmosphere.

- China and India both have extensive greenhouse intensive energy infrastructure, like coal-fi red power stations. These investments tend to be long-term and capital-intensive, therefore, China and India are likely to continue burning coal in order to meet their rising energy needs.

- Both countries are making some efforts to reduce their GHG emissions. India has been working to develop renewable energy programs, while China is working to slow the rate of increase in its emissions through population stabilization efforts, transitioning from coal to natural gas, and afforestation.

- While both countries would like to move away from fossil fuel consumption altogether, this cannot happen without substantial fi nancial investment. Despite the economic growth that these countries have experienced, signifi cant proportions of their populations are still living in poverty. They maintain the right to develop and provide for the needs of their populations, as they see fi t.

(Source: Tread lightly, 2009)

Handout 4.2

Global climate debate role-play

32

Group 3: Alliance of Small Island States

- The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) is a coalition of 43 small island and low-lying coastal countries.

- AOSIS works to advocate for and negotiate on behalf of its members and plays both an observational and an active role within the UN system.

- Their GHG emissions account for only 0.5% of total global emissions.

- Although AOSIS countries are among those least responsible for climate change, they are extremely vulnerable, especially to sea level rise. Some countries face the threat of inundation of their land and water table, and their islands face the serious prospect of becoming uninhabitable in the near term.

- Sea levels are currently rising at a rate of over 2mm per year. IPCC estimates that over the course of the next 100 years, levels could rise by as much as 880mm. In AOSIS countries, rising sea levels will contribute to:

Soil erosion and land loss; Human displacement; Increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events; Reduced resilience of coastal ecosystems; Saltwater intrusion into freshwater reserves; Bleaching and reduced calcifi cation of coral reefs; Loss of mangrove forests; and Damage to coastal ecosystems and associated loss of biodiversity.

- Most small island states are in a poor position to adapt to and deal with the impacts and implications of climate change. This is due to small land areas, limited resources, low incomes, rapidly expanding populations, and a high susceptibility to natural disasters and extreme weather events.

- The AOSIS group holds relatively little infl uence in international negotiations. They have little bargaining power, can afford to send few delegates, and struggle in negotiations with well-resourced teams sent by richer countries.

- AOSIS believes that developed countries should and must take the lead in reducing GHG emissions and quickly provide fi nancial support to its members, not only to help support environmental sustainability but also to help AOSIS member countries adapt to the impacts of climate change which are already being seen.


Handout 4.2


33

Group 4: Least developed countries

- Least developed countries (LDCs) are those which, according to the UN Human Development Index, have the lowest indicators of socio-economic development in the entire world. They include 33 countries in Africa, 15 in the Asia Pacifi c region, and 1 in Latin America.

- They are characterized by:

Extreme poverty - almost 50% of the population in LDCs live on less than 1 USD per day, and live in slum conditions.

Weak economies, often with heavy debt burdens.

Lack of basic infrastructure and social services - less than 60% of the population in LDCs have access to clean and safe drinking water and sanitation.

Poor health- the average life expectancy in LDCs is the lowest in the world, at 51 years of age.

Rapid population growth - the average annual population growth rate in LDCs is the highest in the world, at 5%.

- LDCs are struggling to combat diseases such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, raise education levels, literacy and numeracy rates, and tackle environmental problems like desertifi cation, soil erosion, and loss of biodiversity.

- LDCs are sensitive to climate change and less capable of adapting to impacts.

- LDCs have contributed very little to the problem of climate change. Unless global trends in GHG emissions are reduced signifi cantly and rapidly, these struggling countries will pay the price of the fossil fuel intensive development and prosperity enjoyed by industrialised countries.

- Only recently have many LDC leaders started to see addressing climate change as a priority issue on the same level as pressing development concerns. However, they are more concerned about what can be done to adapt to the impacts of climate change as their emissions are already minimal.

- Like AOSIS countries, LDCs believe that developed countries should take strong steps to reduce GHG emissions while also providing necessary fi nancial support to impoverished countries ill equipped to deal with the climate impacts that are already being seen.

- LDCs hold very little power in international climate negotiations.


Handout 4.2


34

I will

do

Act

iviti

esFr

eque

ncy

List

en to

/wat

ch th

e w

eath

er fo

reca

st to

kee

p up

date

d on

ext

rem

e w

eath

er e

vent

s an

d di

sast

ers.

Take

an

activ

e ro

le in

rais

ing

awar

enes

s in

my

com

mun

ity, s

uppo

rting

peo

ple

to p

artic

ipat

e in

re

spon

ses

to c

hang

es in

wea

ther

pat

tern

s an

d ev

ents

.

Be

awar

e of

loca

l saf

e sh

elte

rs, a

nd ta

lk to

my

frien

ds a

nd fa

mily

abo

ut th

em in

cas

e of

dis

aste

r ev

ents

.

Rai

se a

nim

als

and

grow

pla

nts

that

are

sui

tabl

e fo

r loc

al a

nd c

hang

ing

cond

ition

s.

Pla

nt tr

ees

and

prot

ect f

ores

ts to

saf

egua

rd w

ater

reso

urce

s.

Sav

e en

ergy

, wat

er a

nd o

ther

nat

ural

reso

urce

s in

day

-to-d

ay li

fe.

I will

not

litte

r, an

d w

ill p

ick

up li

tter t

hat I

see

on

the

grou

nd.

Par

ticip

ate

in lo

cal a

ctiv

ities

to p

rote

ct th

e en

viro

nmen

t and

loca

l res

pons

es to

dis

aste

r eve

nts

with

fri

ends

and

com

mun

ity: (

spec

ify)

1.__

____

____

____

____

_

2.__

____

____

____

____

_

3.__

____

____

____

____

_

… Oth

er a

ctiv

ities

that

I ca

n do

: (sp

ecify

)

1.__

____

____

____

____

_

2.__

____

____

____

____

_

3.__

____

____

____

____

_

…

Han

dout

5.1

C

limat

e ac

tion

plan

35

Dev

ices

Item

sR

esul

tM

y ac

tions

Ligh

ts

How

man

y lig

hts

are

ther

e in

you

r hou

se?

How

man

y lig

hts

are

left

on w

hen

not i

n us

e (w

hen

you

are

not a

t hom

e, a

t nig

ht

etc.

)?H

ow m

any

light

bul

bs c

ould

be

repl

aced

with

ene

rgy

savi

ng li

ghtb

ulbs

?W

here

in y

our h

ouse

can

you

use

nat

ural

ligh

t?

Coo

king

Wha

t ele

ctric

al a

pplia

nces

do

you

use

for f

ood

proc

essi

ng?

Wha

t app

lianc

es c

ould

be

repl

aced

with

ene

rgy

effi c

ient

alte

rnat

ives

?

Ref

riger

ator

Wha

t tem

pera

ture

is th

e re

frige

rato

r set

at c

urre

ntly

?

Wha

t tem

pera

ture

can

you

adj

ust t

he re

frige

rato

r to

in o

rder

to s

ave

pow

er?

Air

con

How

man

y ai

rcon

ditio

ners

are

ther

e in

you

r hou

se?

How

man

y ho

urs

per d

ay d

o yo

u ha

ve th

e ai

r con

ditio

ner t

urne

d on

?

Do

you

ever

leav

e an

y ai

rcon

ditio

ners

turn

ed o

n w

hen

not i

n us

e?

Wha

t tem

pera

ture

do

you

leav

e th

e ai

rcon

ditio

ner s

et to

?

Can

you

adj

ust t

he te

mpe

ratu

re o

f the

airc

ondi

tione

r to

save

pow

er?

Fan

How

man

y fa

ns a

re th

ere

in y

our h

ouse

?

Are

ther

e an

y fa

ns tu

rned

on

whe

n no

t in

use?

Whe

re c

an fa

ns b

e us

ed in

stea

d of

airc

ondi

tione

rs?

Whe

re c

an y

ou u

se n

atur

al v

entil

atio

n in

stea

d of

airc

ondi

tione

rs o

r fan

s?

Oth

ers

Wha

t oth

er e

lect

rical

dev

ices

do

you

have

in y

our h

ouse

?

Whi

ch d

evic

es a

re tu

rned

on

whe

n no

t in

use?

Whi

ch d

evic

es c

an b

e us

ed le

ss o

ften,

or c

hang

ed to

redu

ce e

lect

ricity

con

sum

ptio

n?

Are

thes

e de

vice

s ch

ecke

d re

gula

rly to

ens

ure

ther

e is

no

elec

trici

ty le

akag

e?

Are

thes

e de

vice

s cl

eane

d re

gula

rly?

Han

dout

5.2

En

ergy

aud

it

36

Dat

eW

hat d

id I

use

plas

tic b

ags

for?

Poin

tsW

hat d

id I

do to

redu

ce m

y pl

astic

bag

us

age?

End

of

mon

thTo

tal

Poin

ts:

- U

se n

ew, b

ig p

last

ic b

ags

3 po

ints

/ ba

g-

Use

new

, sm

all p

last

ic b

ags

2 po

int /

bag

- R

e-us

e pl

astic

bag

s

1 po

int /

bag

- R

efus

e pl

astic

bag

s

0 po

ints

/ ba

g

Han

dout

5.3

Pl

astic

bag

dia

ry

Compiled by

Appraised by

Copyright

Published

Printing License

Do Van Nguyet, Pham Thi Bich Nga, Nguyen Quang Thanh, Dao Thu Hien, Jane StabbWith the contribution of: Hoang Duc Minh, Nguyen Trong Ninh, and colleagues at Live&Learn, Plan in Vietnam and Save the Children.

MA Khieu Thi Nhan - Science Technology and Environment Dept., Ministry of Education and Training

Prof Ass. PhD Nguyen Minh Phuong - Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences

Prof Ass. PhD Dang Duy Loi - Hanoi National University of Education

PhD Dao Van Tan - Hanoi National University of Education

MA Pham Thi My - Nguyen Tat Thanh High school, Hanoi National University of Education

Prof. PhD Tran Thuc - Vietnam Institute of Meteorology and Environment, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment

MSc Tran Phong - Centre of Environment Training and Communication, Vietnam Environment Administration, Ministry of Natural Resource and Environment

Ministry of Education and Training, Live&Learn and Plan in Vietnam.

In June, 2012

76-2012/CXB/13-150/LĐ

Compass Printing Company

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING49 Dai Co Viet, Hai Ba Trung, HanoiTel: +844 38695144 - 38697215Fax: +844 3869 4085Email: bogddtmoet.edu.vnWebsite: www.moet.gov.vn

LIVE AND LEARN FOR ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY30, Lane 32/26 To Ngoc Van, Hanoi, VietnamTel: +844 37185930 | Fax: +844 37186494 Email: [email protected]: www.livelearn.org; www.thehexanh.net

PLAN VIETNAM10th Floor, Capital Building72 Tran Hung Dao, Hanoi, VietnamTel: +844 3 8220 661 | Fax: +844 3822 3004Email: [email protected]: plan-international.org/where-we-work/asia/vietnam

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