Leaders of the Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and the Environment on Monday met with Ms Lauren Sorkin, the Asia Pacific Regional Director of the ‘100 Resilient Cities’ (100RC) programme to discus the implementation of some activities for the coming time.

Initiated by the US Rockefeller Foundation in 2013, the 100RC programme is dedicated to helping cities worldwide to adopt and incorporate a resilient mindset in their planning, development, and community-building so that they are better prepared for, and can quickly rebound from 21st century shocks and stresses.

100RC supports the adoption and incorporation of a view of resilience that includes not just the shocks-earthquakes, fires, floods, and more-but also the stresses that weaken the fabric of a city on a day to day or cyclical basis.

By late 2013, the first 33 cities around the world had been selected to join 100RC, and Da Nang was amongst them - the only city in Viet Nam to be chosen for the network at that time.

A key reason seems to be that the city’s socio-economic development is very vulnerable to the negative impacts of climate change. Also, the city is a rapidly growing economic hub in Central Viet Nam.

To date, thanks to the technical and financial support given by 100RC partners and experts, Da Nang has been the first city of Viet Nam to develop and release a Resilience Strategy, with a focus on enhancing its natural disaster and climate change adaptation capacity. This helps to create the scientific basis for the city in developing its socio-economic and urban development plans.

It is expected that, from late November 2018 to September 2019, the 100RC programme will continue to assist Da Nang in carrying out a number of activities, especially researching into urban and environmental issues, hereby appealing for other member cities in the 100RC network to help Da Nang adapt to climate change.