Quảng Trị Province in Central Viet Nam has taken an important step toward inclusive and effective climate governance by integrating gender considerations and nature-based solutions for adaptation (NbSA) principles into its recently approved Climate Change Response Action Plan (CCRAP) for 2025–2030 with a vision to 2050. The process was supported by the VNSIPA II project.

Promoting Inclusive Climate Governance

Climate change increasingly affects communities in Quảng Trị, a coastal province frequently exposed to storms, floods, droughts and sea-level rise. These impacts affect communities in different ways depending on gender roles, access to resources and social responsibilities. Women in rural areas often depend on climate-sensitive livelihoods such as agriculture, small-scale fisheries and household production. Limited access to trainings, climate information and financial resources can increase their vulnerability to climate shocks. At the same time, male out-migration for work has increased the burden on women to manage households and livelihoods under increasingly unpredictable climate conditions.

Recognising these challenges, the provincial government incorporated gender-responsive approaches into its updated CCRAP. This integration ensures that climate policies and interventions consider the different needs, capacities and roles of women and men in climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Gender Mainstreaming in Climate Planning

With technical support from GIZ in the framework of the VN-SIPA II project, the planning process incorporated gender perspectives at multiple stages. Key activities included:

• Gender analysis to identify climate vulnerabilities and capacities among different social groups;
• Consultations with local stakeholders, including women’s groups and community representatives;
• Integration of gender-responsive indicators and actions within priority climate programmes and sectoral measures;
• Capacity building for provincial departments and technical staff to strengthen gender-sensitive planning and implementation.

The process involved representatives from government departments of key sectors such as agriculture and environment, health, education, tourism, industry and trade as well as the provincial Women’s Union. These consultations helped identify how climate change affects women and men differently across sectors and communities. The analysis also revealed several institutional challenges. Although Viet Nam’s national strategies clearly emphasise gender mainstreaming in climate action, guidance and practical mechanisms at the provincial level have been limited. Gender-disaggregated data is often fragmented, and gender considerations have rarely been integrated into climate-related programmes and sectoral plans. These findings provided an evidence base for integrating gender considerations into the new CCRAP. The efforts ensured that gender was systematically reflected in the final action plan approved by the provincial authorities.

From Gender Gaps to Gender-Responsive Solutions

Building on the gender analysis, the draft CCRAP was reviewed and a gender gap assessment was conducted to identify where gender aspects were missing or insufficiently addressed.

Several gaps were identified in the original draft, including:

• limited analysis of climate impacts on women and men;
• absence of gender-specific objectives and priorities;
• lack of gender-responsive actions within adaptation measures;
• unclear institutional roles for women’s organisations in implementation and monitoring.

To address these gaps, a matrix of gender-responsive recommendations was developed and integrated into the final plan.

Key improvements include:

• gender considerations in the contextual analysis, highlighting different vulnerabilities and capacities of women and men;
• gender-responsive objectives and priorities within the climate action framework;
• sector-specific measures addressing gender dimensions in agriculture, livelihoods, health, tourism and environmental management;
• gender indicators incorporated into the monitoring and evaluation system;
• stronger roles for social organisations, including the Women’s Union, in communication, capacity building and community-level implementation.

Through these revisions, gender perspectives were integrated across the entire structure of the CCRAP—from situation analysis and objectives to implementation measures and monitoring mechanisms.

To accompany these efforts, the project supported different capacity-building activities such as consultation workshops, trainings and the development of a manual on ‘Gender Mainstreaming in Provincial Adaptation Planning and Disaster Risk Management’. These measures aim to equip provincial staff with knowledge and skills about gender mainstreaming, enabling them to conduct gender analyses and integrate gender into plans and policies and into their daily work.

In addition, the project supported the integration of Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation (NbSA) into the CCRAP which is essential to enhance resilience and sustainability. NbS principles and objectives were incorporated into the planning approach, enabling the development and design of sectoral NbSA that are cost-effective, inclusive and climate-resilient.

From Policy to Practice

The updated action plan highlights several pathways for gender-responsive climate action, such as:

• strengthening women’s participation in climate-related decision-making processes;
• promoting gender-sensitive livelihood models that enhance climate resilience;
• improving access to climate information, training, and financial resources for women and vulnerable groups;
• supporting community-based adaptation initiatives that empower women as agents of change.

By embedding these priorities in the provincial climate framework, Quảng Trị aims to ensure that climate policies contribute not only to environmental sustainability but also to social equity and inclusive development.

A Step Toward Resilient and Inclusive Development

The gender mainstreaming process supported by the VN-SIPA II project demonstrates how international cooperation can help strengthen local climate planning. By providing technical guidance, gender-mainstreaming trainings and facilitating dialogue among stakeholders, the project supported provincial authorities in aligning their climate policies with national gender equality commitments and international best practices.

As Quảng Trị moves forward with implementing its CCRAP through 2030 and beyond, the integration of gender equality and NbSA will help ensure that climate solutions are environmentally sound as well as socially inclusive.

This approach contributes to building more resilient communities and sustainable development pathways for the province as it responds to the growing challenges of climate change.