Towards a resilient Ca Mau, Vietnam by Valentina Amaya

TOWARDS A RESILIENT CA MAU, VIETNAM. STRUCTURING BY AFFORESTATION AS A CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY Valentina Amaya Marin

KU LEUVEN Faculty of Engineering and Department of Architecture Master (of Science) of Human Settlements academic year 2013-2014

Cover picture: Ana Marquina Serrano, Ca Mau Field Work

TOWARDS A RESILIENT CA MAU, VIETNAM. STRUCTURING BY AFFORESTATION AS A CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY Valentina Amaya Marin Thesis submitted to obtain the degree of Master of Science of Human Settlements. Academic year 2013-2014 Faculty of Engineering and Department of Architecture, KU Leuven This document is a suport of the CĂ&#x20AC; MAU Urban Design & Planning Studio. Guided and supervised by Bruno de Meulder, Eric Van Daele, Christian Nolf, Claudia Lucia Rojas

ÂŠ Copyright by KU Leuven Without written permission of the supervisor and the author it is forbidden to reproduce or adapt in any form or by any means any part of this publication. Requests for obtaining the right to reproduce or utilize parts of this publication should be addressed to KU Leuven, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Architecture - Kasteelpark Arenberg 1 bus 2431 BE-3001 Heverlee - Belgium. Telephone +32 (0)16 321391 & Fax. +32-16-32 19 88. A written permission of the supervisor is also required to use the methods, products, schematics and programs described in this work for industrial or commercial use, and for submitting this publication in scientific contests. All images used in this book are, unless otherwise credited, made or drawn by the author.

CONTENTS Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Forest Revolution Abstract

STUDIO WORK FOREST (R)EVOLUTIONS Research Forest Funtions Tree Catalog Biological Diversity and Ecosystems Natural Cleaing Processes Peninsula Strategies Existing Forest Cover Proposal Forest Cover Reasons for Peninsula Afforestation Zoom in South of Peninsula Zoom in North of Peninsula Regional Scale Strategies Afforestation Strategies Toolbox Landscape Structure Regional Scale Strategy 1. Let it Flood/ Bring Back the Wetland Strategy 2. Forest Berore Urbanism The Inhabitated Wetland The Forest Park The Orchard Park

CONTENTS

TOWARDS A RESILIENT CA MAU, VIETNAM. STRUCTURING BY AFFORESTATION AS A CLIMATE CHANGE STRATEGY Abstract Introduction Addressing Wetland Ecologies The Protective Role Of The Forest Forest As Catalysor Of Economic, Social And Ecologic Dynamics, Peninsula Diversifying Monocultures Forest Structuring Urbanism Framing Forest (R)Evolutions Into The Afforestation Initiatives In The Asia-Pacific Context. Case Studies From Philippines And Bangladesh • Protective Forest • Socio Economic Aspects Of Afforestation Projects • Structuring By Afforestation The Urban Growth

CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I take this moment to thank those who made this design thesis possible. Foremost, I want to thank God, for giving me this unique opportunity to be part of this amazing experience. I am indebted to my parents who always believed in me and support all the decisions I made, to them I owe all my happiness and success. I would like to express my genuine gratitude to VLIR-UOS Scholarship who gave me their trust and economic support to fulfill my higher education. This unique opportunity will definitely change the course of my professional career in multiple positive ways. Additionally, I want to thank my studio partner Carmen Bries who with her discipline and patience was possible to build a great team with a very interesting learning process. To Professor Bruno De Meulder and the whole staff of professors who contribute with their guidance and belief in our work and continuously encouraged us to make a better work.

context

CA MAU URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING STUDIO Ca Mau (250.000 inhabitants ) is a relatively modest town situated in the southernmost part of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. As elsewhere in Vietnam since 1986 doi moi (open door policy), the area undergoes a radical process of modernization and urbanization. The development of new roads, new industries and new agriculture practices are profoundly transforming the territory and urban structure. Ambitious master plans are being prepared to organize the projected doubling of the cityÂ´s population. At the same time, the region is facing important environmental challenges. As one of the lowest lying areas in the world, Ca Mau i s exposed to risk of rising sea level, intrusion of saline water as well as deforestation and pollution resulting from the over-extensive development of aqua farming. In response and complement to the official master plans, the (landscape) urbanism studio Ca Mau explores alternative scenarios integrating environmental issues. Climate change mitigation strategies such as mangrove restoration, alternative water management and more ecological and more productive processes are defined to simultaneously frame future urbanization. Four distinct and complementary projects focusing respectively on afforestation, agriculture, water and urban restructuring â&#x20AC;&#x201C; form potential avenues for a more sustainable development of this booming and sensitive region.

FOREST

(R)EVOLUTIONS

AFFORESTATION STRATEGIES FOR

CÀ MAU

ABSTRACT

FOREST (R)EVOLUTIONS The peninsula of Cà Mau is confronted with numerous challenges, provoked by the simultaneous occurrence of a rapid rural-urban migration, drastic transformations of both the countryside and city and severe threats caused by climate change: sea level rise with its associated flooding and saltwater intrusion, coastal erosion and typhoons increasing in strength over time. The ongoing manmade processes of intensifying productive landscapes (while significantly shifting from agri- to aquaculture) in this booming region causes dramatic deforestation and heavy damage to its valuable ecosystems. The project addresses these critical with a landscape urbanism approach. Strategies, anchored within the dynamic landscape, can steer the future urbanisation that it embeds. These strategies simultaneously reproduce the peninsula as a whole – and more specifically the city of Cà Mau – a more resilient region/city? This project addresses more particularly the potential of afforestation to find an alternative response to these issues.

The peninsula of Cà Mau hosts multiple (predominantly wetland ecologies) landscape structures such as mangroves, lakes, creeks, floodplains and estuaries and coastal structures. Population growth and changing, or even shifting production practices structurally degrades these ecologies. The survival of native flora and fauna species is increasingly endangered, while intensified and upscaled, monocultural aqua- and agriculture increasingly destroy the environment. The afforestation strategies of “Forest (r)evolutions” aim to massively recover and make robust the mentioned wetland ecologies. The recovery of the former diversity in ecosystems is enhanced by the introduction of a variety of appropriate tree species that support fresh, brackish and saltwater habitats. The massive afforestation and installation of marshes catalyses natural processes that generate the resilience is required to deal with effects of climate change. Buffers for controlled flooding, inducing processes of phytoremediation, etc. result from this afforestation programs that simultaneously host new economies (shrimp-mangrove farming, agroforestry, etc.) that diversify the currently vulnerable monocultures. Forests over time naturally built land(hights). Mangroves evidence this spectacularly. As such the afforestation program of Cà Mau -one of the topographically lowest regions worldwide, can naturally raise and prepare land for potential future urbanization, while for now it restores the intensive relationship between city and nature and reinstalls the forest as a self renewable resource that can embed and support new types of sustainable economy.

research 7

CO2

Pb zn

Phyto

transformation

remediation

Degrade, extract, contain, or immobilize contaminants from soil and water

Uptake of organic and nutrient contaminants from soil and groundwater and the subsequent transformation by plants

co 2

h2o

transpiration dark respiration

co 2 + h 2 o o2

rhizo

Phyto

filtriation

stabilization

Use of plants roots to sorb, concentrate, and precipitate metal contaminants from surface or groundwater

Holding contaminated soils and sediments in place by vegetation

Phyto

excretion

salt excretion organs (salt glands, salt bladders, or trichomes) in their leaves which regulate plant tissue ion concentration

na na

Cd Ni

forest functions

ECONOMIC

ECOLOGIC

Based on: A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE PHYTOREMEDIATION OF ANTIBIOTIC CONTAMINATED SEDIMENTThuy Thi Thanh Hoang, Loan Thi Cam Tu, Nga Phi Le, Quoc Phu Dao, International Journal of Phytoremediation, Vol. 15, Iss.c 1, 2013

Based on: Forest rehabilitation in Vietnam: histories, realities and future. Wil de Jong, Do Dinh Sam, Trieu Van Hung. Bogor, Indonesia: Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), 2006.

SOCIAL

Phyto

desalination

extraction

plants accumulation of high concentrations of salt in their above ground tissues, and consequently, saline soils can be upgraded

Metal accumulating plants that translocate and concentrate metals from the soil in roots and above ground shoots or leaves

mitigates tyfoon force

shelter for terrestrial life

provokes rainfall

PEAT CREATEs SOIL layers

mangrove ROOTS stabilize coastal sediments shelter for aquatic life

freshwater SWAMP

brackish zone

mid zone

seaward zone

melaleuca cajuputi

Xylocarpus excoercaria acrostichum heritiera nypa

rhizophora bruguiera lumnitzera ceriops avicennia

avicennia sonneratia aegiceras

freshwater pressure

saltwater pressure

Based on: Bell JD, Johnson JE and Hobday AJ (eds) (2011) Vulnerability of Tropical Pacific Fisheries and Aquaculture to Climate Change. Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia.

Healing the damaged landscape through remediation capacities of nature itself

Different swamp forest/mangrove typologies and their roles in natural processes

tree catalog Occurence of tree species depends on the water characteristics in which they grow. The trees in this catalog are all occuring locally in the peninsula of Ca Mau. There are species that are productive as well as species that are protective or merely ornamental

Mudskipper

Great egret

Fishing Cat Greater Spotted Eagle

VU Fishing Cat

Growling grass frog

Hairy-nosed otter CR

Lesser Adjutant

Lesser Sarus Crane Adjutant NT CR Spot-billed pelican

Far Eastern

Rhipidura fuliginosa LC

Tonkin CR Snub-nosed Monkey

wetland forest (sweet water)

Grey-headed Lapwing

Common snook

Bengal Florican

Far Eastern curlew VU

EN CR Ibis White-shouldered

Asian Golden Weaver

Common snook

Mangrove monitor

FLOODPLAIN GRASSLANDs (brackish)

SALTWATER MANGROVE FOREST

Diamondback NT terrapin Flat tree oyster

Mangrove monitor

VU LC

saltDiamondback marsh terrapin LC snake

salt marsh snake

SALTMARSH GRASSLANDs

acid sulphate soil

SALTMARSH GRASSLANDs peat layer swamp soil

Flat tree oyster

Black-headed Ibis

White-shouldered Ibis

Oriental Darter NT

Fiddler Crab

Black-headed Ibis

Bengal Florican

VU EN

Asian Golden Weaver

Bee

Grey-headed Lapwing

LC curlew

Tonkin CR Snub-nosed Monkey

wetland forest (sweet water)

Oriental NT Spot-billed pelican Darter NT Flycatchers

Great egret

Growling grass frogFlycatchers

Hairy-nosed otter CR

Sarus Crane CR

Goliath grouper Fiddler Crab

Mudskipper

Bee

biological diversity and ecosystems

Goliath grouper

Greater Spotted Eagle

acid sulphate soil

coastal marsh and mangrove acid sulphate soil

peat layer

swamp soil

coastal marsh and mangrove

swamp soil

Animal habitats for the different ecosystems occuring in the peninsula of Ca Mau

Based on: Torell , M., A.M. Salamanca and B.D. Ratner, Editors. 2003. Wetlands Management in Vietnam: Issues and Perspectives, WorldFish Center, 89 p. and on: Vietnam Environment Protection Agency (2005). Overview of wetlands status in Vietnam following 15 years of Ramsar Convention implementation. Hanoi, Vietnam. 72 p.

extraction

heavy Soil METALS water Pb ,Cd, Zn, Ni, Cu

Pteris Vittata

Phyto stabilization

Holding contaminated soils and sediments in place by vegetation Nerium Oleander

Melaleuca Cajuputi

rhizo filtriation

Use of plants roots to sorb, concentrate, and precipitate metal contaminants from surface or groundwater

Phyto

transformation

Uptake of organic and nutrient contaminants from soil and groundwater and the subsequent transformation by plants

Sorghum Grass

Populus Euphratica

Soil + ground water

excretion

Suaeda Portulacastrum

Tamarix Aphylla

Suaeda Salsa

Sesuvium Portulacastrum

Soil + ground water

Certain plant and tree species have special cleaning capacities. The different types of pollution ask for different kinds of remediation.

Iris Grass

Vodni Rostliny

Hydrocharis Morsus Ranae

Rhizophora apiculata

Acrostichum aureum

No3,NH4+, PO3. 4

ammunition wastes TNT,RDX

NorďŹ&#x201A;oxacin CiproďŹ&#x201A;oxacin

Phyto

Scirpus Littoralis

herbicides + nutrients +

antibiotics

salt excretion organs (salt glands, salt bladders, or trichomes) in their leaves which regulate plant tissue ion concentration Atriplex prostrata

Brassica Juncea

salinity intrusion

human waste

water

Phyto remediation

Degrade, extract, contain, or immobilize contaminants from soil and water

Red Algae

Based on: A PRELIMINARY STUDY ON THE PHYTOREMEDIATION OF ANTIBIOTIC CONTAMINATED SEDIMENT Thuy Thi Thanh Hoang, Loan Thi Cam Tu, Nga Phi Le, Quoc Phu Dao, International Journal of Phytoremediation, Vol. 15, Iss.c 1, 2013

natural cleaning processes

Phyto Metal accumulating plants that translocate and concentrate metals from the soil in roots and above ground shoots or leaves

by groundwater pumping

Soil Phyto water remediation

Degrade, extract, contain, or immobilize contaminants from soil and water Avicennia Marina

peninsula strategies 12

existing forest cover 0

1.5

10km

10 5

Deforestation no more buffer for flooding areas/extensive - intensive land use for production combined with the predicted sea level rise floodings

U Minh forest

Song Doc river

Song Bay Hap river

Song Cua Lon river

Existing mangrove cover

South China Sea

5 U Minh forest

10km

U Minh forest

U Minh forest border: productive landscape (agroforestry)

Song Doc river

Song Bay Hap river

Song Cua Lon river

Existing mangrove cover

Brackish ecosystem (50%)

Mangrove forest layer for tyfoon protection (70%)

Song Doc river

Productive shrimp-mangrove landscape (30%)

Mangrove forest layer for tyfoon protection (70%)

Song Bay Hap river

Mangrove forest layer for tyfoon protection (70%)

Song Cua Lon river

Expansion of ongoing shrimp-mangrove projects

Extensive mangrove cover (80%)

South China Sea

proposal forest cover

flooding s

forest expansion

hurricane and typhoon protection

erosion

reasons for peninsula afforestation

Fresh-brackish-saltwater ecosystem transition

corridors and ecologies

zoom in south of peninsula

100 50

400 200

600 m

Existing situation: deforestation and monoculture.

314

211

159 109 0

Percentage of mangrove planting in pond area (%)

100 50

400 200

600 m

Proposal.This afforestation strategy is an example of how productive landscape and afforestation can work together and support each other. Based on ongoing projects and studies in this region, it has been shown that farm productivity can increase when ponds are partly planted with mangrove trees.

100

Based on: inh, C. T., Phillips, M. J. and Demaine, H. (1997), Integrated shrimp-mangrove farming systems in the Mekong delta of Vietnam. Aquaculture Research, 28: 599â&#x20AC;&#x201C;610

Net profit of Shrimp-mangrove farms (US$/ha-1)

412

100 50

200m

zoom in north of peninsula

Existing situation: deforestation and monoculture.

social forestry

100

200m

Proposal. Agroforestry transforms a monocultural productive region into a mosaic landscape with plantations, crop fields, woodlots...

Regional scale strategies 20

afforestation strategies toolbox

shrimp-mangroving

agroforestry

social forestry

let it flood

bring back wetland ecologies

shadow water surfaces

bank stabilization

building land

FILL cut balanced cut & fill

repairing riparian habitats

soil & groundwater purification

salt + natural brackish habitat

salt + natural

h + orchards

lt + orchards

low density

new high density

existing salt water

fresh water

cleaning canal

100

new lock

fresh + natural

cleaning wetland aerated lagoon

retentionz canal filtering canal

fresh + natural brackish habitat retention basin

h + orchards

LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE

productive

uurban park

salt + orchards

fresh + orchards

fresh + natural brackish habitat retention basin

cleaning wetland aerated lagoon

0 50

200

new

100

urban use

low density

new

existing

new

rice + fish

shrimp + mangrove

productive

agropark

tree nurseries

new

salt + orchards

neighborhood ponds wetland ecology fresh + orchards

existing

1 crop

salt + natural

shrimp + rice

fresh + natural

salt + natural brackish habitat

high density

productive

new lock

salt water

retentionz canal filtering canal

fresh water

cleaning canal

landscape structure regional scale H30Z6A STUDIO URBAN DESIGN AND PLANNING SPRING 2014 Bruno De Meulder Christian Nolf Eric Van Daele Claudia Lucia Rojas

CA MAU, VIETNAM

LEGEND

200

400

600 m

existing

new

existing

rice + melaleuca 2 crops

LEGEND 400 600 m

urban use

existing

Swamp forest

Cut and fill constructed wetland

Protective forest buffer

Swamp forest

Cut and fill constructed wetland

Protective forest buffer

Reef pocket

Local road

Thoi Binh canal

Local path

Song Ca Mau river

1000m

Reef pocket

Residential neighborhood + small/medium enterprises

500

Residential neighborhood + small/medium enterprises

100 200

Landbuilding forest for future expansion

Residential neighborhood + small/medium enterprises

Vo Van Kiet road

Wet season: pockets of safe higher land float like islands in the wetland

0 50 100 200 400 600 m

Swamp forest

Swamp forest Swamp forest

Cut and fill Cut and fill constructed wetlandconstructed wetland

Reef pocket

Cut and fill Cut and fill constructed wetlandconstructed wetland

Reef pocket

Protective forest buffer Protective forest buffer

Reef pocket

Wet season Detail Section

Protective forest buffer Protective forest buffer

Reef pocket

Local path

Song Ca Mau river Song Ca Mau river

Dry season Detail Section

Protective forest buffer Protective forest buffer

Reef pocket

Protective forest buffer

Reef pocket

Residential neighborhood Residential neighborhood + small/medium enterprises + small/medium enterprises

Reef pocket

Landbuilding forest Landbuilding forest for future expansion for future expansion

Transition of Forest When Urbanization Take Place

Residential neighborhood Residential neighborhood + small/medium enterprises + small/medium enterprises

Song Ca Mau river

Local road

Song Ca Mau river

Thoi Binh canal

Vo Van Kiet road

Thoi Binh canal

Vo Van Kiet road

Plantation of Forest Before Urbanization

Melaleuca Cajuputi forest has the capacity to build land over time by creation of a peat soil layer. We take advantage of this quality and think one step forward. If the city needs to expand in the future, it can take place on this naturally created higher land, within the created linear city figure of the civic spine. For now, this forest reserve works as a buffer between the industrial areas of Petrovietnam and the city center. The forest reserve contains new pockets that combine residences with small-medium enterprises (see sections strategy 1).

The inhabited wetland The created landscape structure makes a transition from an hyper landscape to a hyper urbanism environment. In the inhabited wetland animals and plants come first, and human residence is present but only of secondary importance.

The forest park The forest park gives the inhabitants of Ca Mau the opportunity to experience and to learn about the local treasures they posses. The natural and the urban meet and interact. As the Ca Mau inhabitants lack the culture of going to the forest to make them aware of the importance of the role of the forest the forest has to be brought to them in the city.

The orchard park In the orchard park, landscape complements the civic spine, creating a shadow-rich space for meeting and enjoying outdoor life while also being productive.

All together these landscapes create a natural spine for the growth of the city.

CONCLUSION In Ca Mau Peninsula, the fundamental shifts of population, environmental degradation and the overexploitation of the land caused by the ongoing manmade process of intensifying productive landscapes had increased the vulnerability of this region to the existing threats of climate change. The necessity to address these critical conditions makes this region a prime location for landscape urbanism. A set of multi-scale afforestation strategies were designed in order to conceive a more resilient region and city. Mekong Delta, especially The Ca Mau peninsula is considered a â&#x20AC;&#x153;wet regionâ&#x20AC;? where multiple ecosystems such as mangrove forest, lakes, small rivers, floodplains and estuaries take place in one territory. To address this particular context, it is important to highlight the ecological peculiarity of each fresh, brackish and saltwater habitats by planting the correct tree species. The recovery of these diverse ecosystems can steer the survival of native fauna species. These massive afforestation strategies aimed at dealing with rising water levels and change patterns of production by following the logics of the territory joining landscape and infrastructure. In order to frame urbanization through a blue/green structure and increase resilience, it is important to follow the natural forces, give space to the water and allow a controlled flexibility allowing the city to be more resilient. However, this requires space and questions the capacity of the city to integrate buffers for flooding and green structures. Lessons learned for real afforestation projects in the Asian pacific region, showed that the role of the community is crucial for the success of afforestation projects. A variety of benefits and long term economic incentives promote a better social involvement. Through education and training, awareness can be created positioning the forest as a productive resource that can offer a wide range of services and goods that on the long run will embed and support new types of sustainable economy. 53

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