Da Nang, a major city in Vietnam, is vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. The city is subjected to typhoons and floods almost annually, bearing human life and property losses, especially to coastal and riverine communities. To enhance the city’s resilience to climate change and extreme events, a Visual Climate Adaptation Platform is being developed by CSIRO Australia in collaboration with Da Nang city’s agencies, under the Rockefeller Foundation’s 100 Resilient Cities Program.

Developed based on CSIRO City Engines, the Planform is a supporting tool for urban/coastal authorities to conduct various planning activities with a scientifically informed approach that integrates a modern risk modelling framework and Geographic Information System (GIS). The Platform allows spatial and temporal assessment of climate impacts on urban/coastal environment, generates maps of new/improved information on climate risks, and estimates damage extent/cost to communities under extreme events. It can include cost-benefit analyses to compare the effectiveness of alternative adaptation options.

This presentation reports the first stage of the platform development, including a demonstration of its potential usefulness and suitability to local conditions. Through an inclusive engagement process, the platform has been identified by the city agencies as a strategic need for both short-term and long-term development of the city. It is envisaged that the platform will promote proactive preparedness of emergency facilities for effective post-disaster response and recovery, and incorporate new knowledge to aid the relevant authorities in urban planning and policy making that helps Da Nang to become a sustainable and resilient city.