Adaptive fisheries management in Vietnam: The use of indicators and the introduction of a multi-disciplinary Marine Fisheries Specialist Team to support implementation

Vietnam is in the process of introducing adaptive management based on indicators and time-series to manage its marine fisheries. The development of indicator-based frameworks for fisheries management has accelerated in recent years. This article describes the suite of indicators being suggested or used in Vietnam including the data-collection system. The Vietnamese approach is supported by an institutional structure consisting of a multi-disciplinary advisory system to facilitate the process of using indicators and to introduce knowledge-based management. The article concludes by identifying current problems and weaknesses and by providing suggestions for future improvement of the system.     

Simplified formulae for designing coastal forest against tsunami run-up: one-dimensional approach

In the present study, laboratory experiments were conducted to validate the applicability of a numerical model based on one-dimensional nonlinear long-wave equations. The model includes drag and inertia resistance of trees to tsunami flow and porosity between trees and a simplified forest in a wave channel. It was confirmed that the water surface elevation and flow velocity by the numerical simulations agree well with the experimental results for various forest conditions of width and tree density. Further, the numerical model was applied to prototype conditions of a coastal forest of Pandanus odoratissimus to investigate the effects of forest conditions (width and tree density) and incident tsunami conditions (period and height) on run-up height and potential tsunami force. The modeling results were represented in curve-fit equations with the aim of providing simplified formulae for designing coastal forest against tsunamis. The run-up height and potential tsunami forces calculated by the curve-fit formulae and the numerical model agreed within ± 10% error.     

Flood-prone area mapping using machine learning techniques: a case study of Quang Binh province,Vietnam

Natural Hazards - Vietnam’s central coastal region is the most vulnerable and always at flood risk, severely affecting people’s livelihoods and socio-economic development. In...     

含水层水力参数的尺度效应研究现状

主要论述了国内外目前对弥散率尺度效应以及渗透系数等夺数的空间变异性研究的现状和今后的研究趋势。文中提出了含水层水力参数的尺度效应问题，并指出庄重视地下水驱动力场变化对参数的影响研究。     

Adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system coupled with shuffled frog leaping algorithm for predicting river streamflow time series

ABSTRACT

Accurate runoff forecasting plays a key role in catchment water management and water resources system planning. To improve the prediction accuracy, one needs to strive to develop a reliable and accurate forecasting model for streamflow. In this study, the novel combination of the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model with the shuffled frog-leaping algorithm (SFLA) is proposed. Historical streamflow data of two different rivers were collected to examine the performance of the proposed model. To evaluate the performance of the proposed ANFIS-SFLA model, six different scenarios for the model input–output architecture were investigated. The results show that the proposed ANFIS-SFLA model (R² = 0.88; NS = 0.88; RMSE = 142.30 (m³/s); MAE = 88.94 (m³/s); MAPE = 35.19%) significantly improved the forecasting accuracy and outperformed the classic ANFIS model (R² = 0.83; NS = 0.83; RMSE = 167.81; MAE = 115.83 (m³/s); MAPE = 45.97%). The proposed model could be generalized and applied in different rivers worldwide.     

Effect of open gap in coastal forest on tsunami run-up—investigations by experiment and numerical simulation

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of an open gap, such as a road, in a coastal forest on tsunami run-up. A numerical model based on two-dimensional nonlinear long-wave equations was developed to account for the effects of drag and turbulence induced shear forces due to the presence of vegetation. Experiments were conducted on a forest simulated with vertical cylinders by changing the gap width. The numerical model was validated in good agreement with the experimental results. The numerical model was then applied to a wide forest of Pandanus odoratissimus, a tree species that is a dominant coastal vegetation on a sand dune in South and Southeast Asia. The effect of vertical stand characteristics of P. odoratissimus with aerial roots was considered on the drag resistance. A straight open gap perpendicular to the shoreline was used to investigate the effect of gap width. As the gap width increases, the flow velocity at the end of the open gap first increases, reaches a maximum, and then decreases, while the run-up height increases monotonously. The maximum velocity in the present condition is 1.7 times the maximum velocity without a coastal forest. The effects of different gap arrangements in the forest on tsunami run-up were also investigated in this paper. The flow velocity at the end of an open gap can be reduced by a staggered arrangement.     

Land tenure and REDD+: The good,the bad and the ugly

A number of international donors, national governments and project proponents have begun to lay the groundwork for REDD+, but tenure insecurity – including the potential risks of land grabbing by outsiders and loss of local user rights to forests and forest land – is one of the main reasons that many indigenous and other local peoples have publicly opposed it. Under what conditions is REDD+ a threat to local rights, and under what conditions does it present an opportunity? This article explores these issues based on available data from a global comparative study on REDD+, led by the Center for International Forestry Research, which is studying national policies and processes in 12 countries and 23 REDD+ projects in 6 countries. The article analyses how tenure concerns are being addressed at both national and project level in emerging REDD+ programs. The findings suggest that in most cases REDD+ has clearly provided some new opportunities for securing local tenure rights, but that piecemeal interventions by project proponents at the local level are insufficient in the absence of broader, national programs for land tenure reform. The potential for substantial changes in the status quo appear unlikely, though Brazil – the only one with such a national land tenure reform program – offers useful insights. Land tenure reform – the recognition of customary rights in particular – and a serious commitment to REDD+ both challenge the deep-rooted economic and political interests of ‘business as usual’.     

Changes in heat wave characteristics over Extremadura (SW Spain)

Theoretical and Applied Climatology - Heat wave (HW) events are becoming more frequent, and they have important consequences because of the negative effects they can have not only on the human...     

Integration of ecosystem-based adaptation to climate change policies in Viet Nam

There is growing recognition of the importance of ecosystem-based approaches for adaptation to climate change—it is a cost-effective measure that has multiple benefits and can overcome many of the drawbacks of more common engineering adaptation options. Viet Nam has a rich biodiversity and is also one of the most vulnerable countries impacted by climate change. Climate change policies have been adopted at national and local levels as well as by sector, making Viet Nam one of the nations to most systematically fulfill their obligation under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Consequently, we have used Viet Nam as a case study, to assess the integration of ecosystem-based approach to adaptation to climate change. We found that ecosystem-based adaptation is being implemented in some projects but, overall, is inadequately considered by Viet Nam’s climate change policies. Instead, policies predominantly rename infrastructure projects as climate change adaptation and focus on hard solutions for disaster reduction, rather than responding to long-term climate change through ecosystem-based adaptation. Moreover, ecosystem-based adaptation projects have focused on only a few relevant types of ecosystems. Viet Nam should revise its existing climate change policies and sectoral strategies to integrate ecosystem-based adaptation across different scales of governance. As other nations develop adaptation policies at different scales, the lesson from Viet Nam is that engineering measures need to be balanced with ecosystem-based adaptation for more affordable and effective responses to climate change.     

Topography of the Moho and earth crust structure beneath the East Vietnam Sea from 3D inversion of gravity field data

The Moho depth, crustal thickness and fault systems of the East Vietnam Sea (EVS) are determined by 3D interpretation of satellite gravity. The Moho depth is calculated by 3D Parker inversion from residual gravity anomaly that is obtained by removing the gravity effects of seafloor and Pre-Cenozoic sediment basement topographies from the free air anomaly. The 3D inversion solution is constrained by power density spectrum of gravity anomaly and seismic data. The calculated Moho depths in the EVS vary from 30–31 km near the coast to 9 km in the Central Basin. A map of the lithosphere extension factor in the Cenozoic is constructed from Moho and Pre-Cenozoic sediment basement depths. The fault systems constructed by the maximum horizontal gradient approach include NE-SW, NW-SE, and N-S oriented faults. Based on the interpretation results, the EVS is sub-divided into five structural zones which demonstrated the different characteristics of the crustal structure.