Climate-smart spatial planning assessment in support of conservation and blue growth in Da Nang city’s marine environment

Commissioned via the UK Research Councils Official Development Assistance national Capability funded project “Addressing Challenges of Coastal Communities through Ocean Research for Developing Economies’ (ACCORD), and co-developed with the Da Nang Da Nang Department of Natural Resources and Environment with the support of PEMSEA, our main ambition was to highlight what spatial management activities could be undertaken in the waters off the city to support climate change adaptation in its resources. We identified substantial sensitivities of species of commercial and conservation value across the whole bay and its offshore waters to climate change under increasing global greenhouse emissions. For species that occupy the water column (as opposed t the seabed), this sensitivity appeared to be concentrated in the southern part of the bay. Importantly, fishing pressure exacerbated the pressure of climate change on pelagic target species, highlighting the challenges of delivering food security and a growing blue economy imposed by a changing climate. Additionally, lowered emissions, in line with the Paris Agreement, would deliver clear benefits to all types of species assessed, supporting a more sustainable path for the exploration of Da Nang’s marine resources and it’s blue economy. Recommendations are made about how the Coastal Use Zoning Plan for Da Nang City could be adapted to support climate change adaptation in these species and habitats, and well as the broader sustainability of these ecosystems.

Related publication

Characterisation of the inshore marine sectors of Da Nang, Vietnam
This publication is another output from the ACCORD project.