One and a half years after the approval of Vietnam’s National Power Development Plan (PDP8), Australia continues to support its strategic partner in exploring practical solutions to decarbonise the electricity sector.
🔸 On September 18, 2024, the "Vietnam State of Energy Transition" (VSET) Conference was successfully held in Hanoi. As the closing event of FE-V (Future of Electricity – Vietnam) Phase 2, VSET gathered over 100 energy transition experts from both Vietnam and Australia. These participants represented a diverse range of stakeholders, including government agencies, academia, and businesses.
Climate change and energy transition are two key pillars of the Australia-Vietnam comprehensive strategic partnership, as stated by the Australian Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski. Since 2022, FE-V, an initiative from the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, has fostered collaboration and knowledge exchange between energy experts from both countries. Building on the progress of Phase 1, FE-V Phase 2 focused on eight priority issues to support Vietnamese government agencies in implementing the approved PDP8. VSET served as the conclusion of this phase.
We were honoured to welcome Mr. Long Nguyen Hoang, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), who delivered a keynote speech addressing practical challenges in Vietnam’s energy transition. These issues were further explored in 16 presentations by experienced speakers with deep knowledge of the multifaceted energy transition from Australia and Vietnam.
The conference included three main sessions, with parallel discussions on crucial themes of the electricity sector: Generation, Market and Fuel; Grid and Demand; and Planning, Resilience, and GEDSI.
We would like to thank The Australian Embassy in Vietnam (Ambassador Andrew Goledzinowski, Ms. Cecilia Brennan Mr. Le Duc, Mr. Benjamin Davis), Partnerships for Infrastructure (Mr. Nam Le, Mr. Kyle Springer) for their long-term support and guidance; and our wide range of respected partners, guests, and participants who contributed your deep expertise to the success of VSET.
Now available in four languages - Managing Water Scarcity in Asia and the Pacific
A crucial driver of prosperity and economic development, water is the lifeblood of both industry and agriculture sectors across Asia and the Pacific (APAC) region.
However, like many parts of the world, the region faces an escalating threat: water scarcity.
What is water scarcity?
Water scarcity occurs when the demand for freshwater outpaces its available supply, our study reveals.
In the study, we conjured up a holistic picture of water scarcity based on four key dimensions:
Too little water;
Too variable water;
Over-utilisation;
Poor water quality.
The imbalance can manifest in unsatisfied demand, tensions and competition for water between users, over-extraction of groundwater, and insufficient environmental flows. (the UN Food and Agriculture organisation - FAO)
With four very different climate zones, the APAC region experiences all types of water scarcity – too little water, over-utilisation, too variable water or poor water quality – and all threaten to undermine the development progress of recent decades.
Water scarcity management: Collaboration towards a resilient, water-secure future
Our policy summary analyses water scarcity management practices across ten countries, including Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. This study helps to inform policymakers by identifying what has worked and what needs to be improved to mitigate the risks of water scarcity for a water-secure and resilient Asia-Pacific.
Led by AMPERES' integrated water team, the study supports joint efforts between FAO and Australian Water Partnership (AWP) under the Asia-Pacific Water Scarcity Programme towards sustainable use of water resources in all countries in the region, and the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals relating to water access, poverty reduction and food security.
Managing Water Scarcity in Asia and the Pacific - A Summary - Now available in four languages:
(redirected to the AWP’s website)
A dedicated webpage for the FE-V program is officially launched
In this very first month of 2024, we are excited to share with you the launching webpage of the FE-V (Future Electricity of Vietnam) program. This science-to-policy program comprises policy dialogues to leverage the Australian experience in the energy transition to support Vietnam in exploring practical and feasible interventions for a decarbonised, reliable and affordable power system.
You can now access the rigorous knowledge products on prioritised topics relating to the main dimensions of the power sector, which were meticulously developed by the FE-V's Australian and Vietnamese experts. Furthermore, we welcome you to accompany the FE-V team in the weekly newsletter, future events, and so on.
We're happy to receive any comments or requests of engagement regarding FE-V and this webpage from you.
The webpage is available in both English and Vietnamese.
Access here:
English: https://fe-vietnam.info
Vietnamese: https://vi.fe-vietnam.info
COP28 Policy Dialogue | Catalysing Energy Transition in Southeast Asia
This 8 December, ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions and AMPERES will support Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership on a Side Event within COP28 UAE 🔸
🤝 Capacity-building and international partnership are two integral factors that permeate and solidify multiple aspects of the energy transition.
For Southeast Asia, urbanisation and rapid economic growth come with the increasing energy demand. This acceleration poses some significant challenges regarding energy security, sustainability, and climate change mitigation. To address these challenges and achieve the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, the transition progress to clean and sustainable energy systems is crucial.
In this COP 28 side event, we will:
👉 catalyse action by explaining how capacity building and international partnership building on energy transition can be achieved successfully;
👉 showcase the approach and outcomes of the Southeast Asia Energy Transition Partnership’s Roundtable.
Risk or Reward: Hydropower Impacts on Supply Chains in the Lower Mekong Basin
New report: 'Risk or Reward: Hydropower Impacts on Supply Chains in the Lower Mekong Basin'
A WWF report takes a new look at how the economic value of hydropower in the Lower Mekong measures up against its high economic trade-offs.
The report sheds light on how crucial supply chains worth multi-billions are threatened by hydropower impacts, including:
Energy production
Fisheries and aquaculture
Rice production
Sand mining and construction
Textiles and electronics
Developed and authored by AMPERES team, the report exposes vulnerabilities among these growing regional supply chains and provides recommendations for policymakers and businesses to better understand the true cost of hydropower.
Lead authors: Amy Fallon, John Sawdon, Le Thi Ha Tien and Tarek Ketelsen.
Contributors: Marc Goichot, Daphné Carliez, Richard Lee, Heron Holloway and Klomjit Chandrapanya.
Access full versions of the report here. (WWF website)
Pre-COP 28 Policy Dialogue | Advancing regional cooperation in Southeast Asia's Energy Transition to meet the Paris Agreement Goals in 2030
REGIONAL PRE-COP 28 POLICY DIALOGUE
"Advancing regional cooperation in Southeast Asia's Energy Transition to meet the Paris Agreement Goals in 2030"
Date: 9 October, 2023
Virtual event
Register link: https://bit.ly/PreCOP28PolicyDialogue
The year 2015 marked the adoption of the historic Paris Agreement, a global commitment for collective action to reduce global CO2 emissions and combat climate change. Seven dynamic years have passed since that breakthrough, with significant development and transformation in the power sectors of Southeast Asia.
At the halfway point between the signing of the agreement and the target date of 2030, it is time to take stock of the progress made and the challenges remaining for Southeast Asia to meet its 2030 commitments.
COP28 UAE, held from November 30 until December 12, 2023, is a significant event where the global progress on the Paris Agreement will be evaluated. The inaugural Global Stocktake will assist in aligning and strengthening the global effort by identifying areas that require additional measures.
As outlined in the Paris Agreement, effective regional cooperation is an indispensable attribute in accelerating the energy transition. To that end, many governments, including ones in Southeast Asia, have undertaken various initiatives. However, making the best of such initiatives by determining the most effective collaborative mechanisms still poses challenges.
In preparation for the Global Stocktake process at COP 28, this pre-COP Dialogue will assess progress on energy transition through the lens of regional electricity cooperation. It will take stock of progress, identify remaining challenges and explore how regional electricity cooperation could unlock these barriers to advance national and regional progress on the Paris Commitments.
The pre-COP Policy Dialogue is an initiative of the Energy Transition Partnership (ETP), a multi-stakeholder platform that aims to accelerate energy transition in Southeast Asia and deliver the Paris Agreement targets on climate change by bringing together Government Donors, Philanthropies and Partner Governments.
The ETP Roundtables is a networking program delivering policy engagement and training through a consortium of the Australian National University (ANU), Australia-Mekong Partnership for Environmental Resources & Energy Systems (AMPERES), Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (LPEM UI), the Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonisation (IRID), Ateneo School of Government (ASOG), and University of San Carlos (USC).
PDP8 Implementation Plan - Submittal Letter on requesting approval for the promulgation & Comments on the draft - Unofficial translation
For information purposes, AMPERES conducted an unofficial English translation for the Submittal Letter and the Comment Dispatch. We introduce our translated documents for those who want to dive deep into the PDP8 implementation process.
Read MoreThe implications of separating NLDC from EVN
How does this 6-year-long process mark a big step for the orientation of a competitive electricity market in Vietnam? Here is our take.
Read MoreThe Last Mile Leads - Scoping options to support Community Renewable Energy in Cambodia
Together new technology and governance models could catalyse a shift in the equity of the Mekong's development trajectory. Communities once on the fringe of development could become leaders in new, more equitable models of energy access and utilisation; and accelerate progress on a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Read MoreA Fishway to preserve the migratory fish in Vang Vieng district of Lao PDR
Agriculture and fisheries are vital for the prosperity of the Lower Mekong Region, where a majority of rural people are agriculture-dependent livelihoods. However, the construction of irrigation infrastructure often has adverse impacts on riverine ecosystems and has threatened inland fisheries in the region.
The Fishtech project, funded by ACIAR and DFAT and led by Charles Sturt University (CSU), aims to synthesise and generate research that facilitates significant adoption of fishway technology in South East Asian countries, including mitigating the environmental impacts of irrigation development on fish migration. A recent activity of the project was the opening of a Fishway at Nam Pok in the Vang Vieng district of Lao PDR, focusing on raising local awareness of fish migration and river connectivity. As a close partner in Water for Rice and Fish project, financially sponsored by ACIAR, conducting small research activities in Lao PDR and Cambodia, AMPERES is pleased to participate in this opening event.
The event involved the participation of the Australian Ambassador to the Lao PDR, Mr H.E. Paul Kelly, the representatives of local governments of Vang Vieng, the National University of Laos, Mekong River Commission, Living Aquatic Resources Research Center, local community, and Professor Lee Baumgartner from CSU and, as well as the fishway research and construction team, and CSU's partners on improving "fish-friendly" agriculture in the Lower Mekong Region.
Fishways advance the preservation of migratory fish by facilitating a passage to reconnect the upstream and downstream habitats where river infrastructure presents. It contributes to enhancing local fisheries' income and household nutrition. In Lao PDR, hydropower dams and irrigation infrastructure are vital for economic and livelihood development; however, the constructions are barriers to fulfilling migratory fish's life stage and contribute to declining fish populations. Fishway is, therefore, one of the feasible ways to increase inland fisheries in Lao PDR.
However, a single fishway cannot provide upstream passage for all types of inland fish and only focus on target fisheries. Integrated approaches, including social and environmental interventions, are needed to enhance local community livelihood. And AMPERES, in partnership with our valued partners ACIAR, CSU and national specialists, is thriving for them.
* All photo credits to the Australian Embassy to Laos and Jim H photo
Water for Rice and Fish Conceptualisation Workshop in Australia
Rice and fish form the basis of the food and livelihood security of millions of people across the Mekong River Basin.
However, the goals for each often involve significant trade-offs in terms of ecosystem health and nutritional benefits, with the Mekong’s inland fisheries facing significant pressures due to infrastructure development, climate change and agricultural intensification. Holistic agroecological approaches are therefore needed, integrating both technical and non-technical interventions such as fish-friendly infrastructure, integrated rice–fish production, and community-led water management.
From 24 to May 26, our Resilience specialist, Dr Amy Fallon, attended the Water for Rice and Fish (WARF) and Fishtech Integrated Workshop at Charles Sturt University in Albury, Australia. The workshop sought to perform a conceptualisation exercise to take a systems approach to catchment structure and function from a fisheries, ecosystem services, irrigation, and water management perspective.
The two-and-a-half-day workshop involved four in-depth discussion activities about irrigation, fisheries, and water management. Leading experts on rice-fish systems in the Mekong discussed together problems as well as potential opportunities for interventions, developed graphic conceptual models and the foundations of a quantitative model that may be used to determine the scale and location of where to implement interventions to maximise fish productivity and diversity for nutrition and livelihoods.
The participants concluded the workshop with four identified priority knowledge gaps, which will be explored in the WARF project:
🔸 Basic ecology of fish species harvested for food in the Mekong
🔸 Localised nutrition goals
🔸 Cultural and social issues
🔸 How to influence change
The WARF project is supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research and led by AMPERES in partnership with Charles Sturt University, Living Aquatic Resources Research Center and the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
Managing Water Scarcity in Asia and the Pacific
In Asia and the Pacific region, water resources form the basis of food security and support economic development. However, increasing water demand due to population growth, rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, and climate change threaten those water resources. Many countries in Asia and the Pacific face increasing water scarcity, with various causes, dynamics, and trends. How countries in the region respond to and manage water scarcity will define sustainable development across the region.
The publication "Managing Water Scarcity in Asia and the Pacific - A Summary" provides policymakers with a summary outlining the dynamics and management of water scarcity across Asia and the Pacific. Water scarcity management practices across ten countries – including several in ASEAN – were analysed, identifying what has worked and what needs improvement to mitigate water scarcity risks.
The report supports the Water Scarcity Program led by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in partnership with the Australian Water Partnership. The Water Scarcity Program works with national governments in developing ‘Water Scarcity Action Plans’ and ‘National Water Accounting and Allocation Roadmaps’, which will guide future water accounting and allocation practices in the Asia-Pacific region.
AMPERES led this publication in collaboration with Aalto University, eWater, Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Institute of Water Resources Planning, National University of Laos, Cambodia Development Research Institute, Thai Water Partnership, Gadjah Mada University, Global Water Partnership – Indonesia, RMCG, Eco-Pasifika Consulting and Alluvium Group.
Visit the publication page on the Australian Water Partnership website here.
Book Launch - Managing Water Scarcity in the Asia-Pacific region
Webinar | Thursday 18 May 2023 | 4:00 - 6:00PM AEST / 1:00 - 3:00PM ICT
In this webinar, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in partnership with the Australian Water Partnership AWP will launch a new publication on Managing Water Scarcity in the Asia-Pacific region.
The publication provides a policymakers summary outlining the dynamics and management of water scarcity across the Asia-Pacific. The webinar will introduce key findings on water scarcity risks and recommendations for improved water scarcity management in an open conversation between authors and Mekong government officials.
Water scarcity management practices across ten countries – including several in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), particularly Cambodia, Lao PDR, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam – have been analysed drawing policy, regulatory and planning lessons on what has worked, and what needs to be improved to mitigate the risks of water scarcity for a water-secure and resilient Asia-Pacific.
The publication, along with other diagnostic activities, has provided a foundation for the next stage of the Water Scarcity Program led by FAO in partnership with Australia through AWP. The Water Scarcity Program is working with national governments in developing ‘Water Scarcity Action Plans’ and ‘National Water Accounting and Allocation Roadmaps’. These will guide future water accounting and allocation practices in the Asia-Pacific region.
In this program, AMPERES, together with Alluvium, are implementing partners.
The webinar will provide simultaneous translation in Khmer, Bahasa Indonesia, Thai and Vietnamese.
Advancing Just Energy Transition in the ASEAN
This paper reflects the outcome of a series of stakeholder dialogues with contributions from Oxfam, Heinrich Boll Stiftung Southeast Asia, the Institute for Essential Services Reform, AMPERES, HPNET, Yayasan Indonesia Cerah, Right Energy Partnership with Indigenous Peoples, Green Innovation and Development Centre (GreenID Vietnam), Lao Natural Resources and River Network (LNRN), the NGO Forum on Cambodia, WWF Myanmar and the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development.
Read MoreAMPERES supports Climate Change Adaptation in the Mekong Delta
Last week, a DFAT*-led delegation had a 6-day visit to the Mekong Delta to promote Australia – Viet Nam cooperation in climate change adaptation.
Read MoreThink Global Act Local: Exploring the Role of Community Renewable Energy in National Achievement of an Inclusive, Just Energy Transition
The global COVID-19 pandemic offers Southeast Asian countries the opportunity to reset and rethink development strategies and the potential to “build back better” –more resilient, more sustainable, and decarbonized. Agencies like the OECD and the IEA have championed “build back better” approaches for the energy sector, but the focus of these calls center on technology change and increasing deployment of renewable energy in the national electricity generation mix. For many developing countries in Southeast Asia, the challenge of Renewable Energy (RE) deployment is complicated by other factors such as an urgent need to make progress on energy access goals (Sustainable Development Goal– SDG 7), the challenges of reliable generation and avoidance of blackouts, and keeping up with rapid energy demand growth. In this paper, we argue that renewable energy offers more than simply technological benefits to the energy sector; it also offers an opportunity for distributed energy resources (mini-grids, rooftop solar) and community ownership and management of energy resources to advance national power development agendas.
We draw on case studies from Cambodia and Vietnam to demonstrate that decentralized renewable energy options can provide rural communities with clean and affordable electricity that also offers a range of social, economic, environmental, technological and political benefits. As such, they play a crucial role in achieving national SDG targets towards universal electricity access.
We argue that community renewable energy (CORE) offers governments the opportunity to reach reliable universal access faster, more equitably and with greater knock-on benefits to rural livelihoods, including strengthening community ownership of electricity services. Recognizing there are technology and governance issues challenging the sustainability of some CORE projects in the region, this study proposes a framework for investigating different dimensions of a project to identify areas for improvement.
This paper is part of a research series on the energy landscape in Southeast Asia.
Find more about the Climate and Energy in Southeast Asia program from Heinrich Böll Foundation.
ENERGY TRANSITION ROUNDTABLES REGISTRATION
ENERGY TRANSITION ROUNDTABLES (ET-R) is a two-year capacity building and networking program in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The design includes 24 Roundtables which will be organised in 2022 and 2023.
The Roundtables are delivered by a partnership of the The Australian National University (ANU), AMPERES- The Australia-Mekong Partnership for Environmental Resources & Energy Systems, Institute for Economic and Social Research, University of Indonesia (LPEM-FEBUI), Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (LPEM UI), the Indonesia Research Institute for Decarbonisation (IRID), Ateneo School of Government (ASOG) and University of San Carlos.
The details will be provided when each particular event is officially launched.
To not get missed out on this great opportunity, please register here: https://lnkd.in/g26BBQ-w or Scan the QR Code below for the forthcoming roundtables !!!
For more information, please contact Ms Tien Le - Project Coordinator via email tienlth@amperes.com.au or visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gyMhMx9j
#energytransition #energy #renewablesenergy
PATHWAYS TO SUSTAINABLE AND JUST TRANSFORMATION OF THE MEKONG'S REGION ELECTRICITY SECTOR
The official book of the Pathways to Sustainable and Just Transformation of the Mekong Region’s Electricity Sector has launched.
The book is focusing on analyzing how electricity is generated, and how it is accessed, is of central importance to sustainable development in the Mekong Region, including in terms of environmental impacts, social wellbeing, and economic growth. From mid-2021 to early-2022, CSDS and AMPERES collaborated with 24 researchers from academic institutions, think tanks and civil society organizations to prepare thirteen ‘thinkpieces’ that explore the opportunities and challenges to sustainable and just electricity transformation in the Mekong Region.
Each think piece contributes a layer of evidence and insight to understanding the dynamics of electricity in practice in the Mekong Region, ranging from analysis on the regional scaled plans for electricity trade, to examination of the national level processes on power development planning and its outcomes, to local level opportunities and challenges for decentralized off-grid electricity solutions.
The aspiration of this collaborative initiative was not to assemble a consensus report, but rather to gather diverse viewpoints on the opportunities and challenges in attaining ‘sustainable and just electricity transformation’ in the Mekong Region. The report aims to set out some new terrains for the electricity debate at scales that range from the local to the regional, and is intended to stimulate public debate on the wide-ranging social, ecological and economic implications of electricity planning.
For the Official digital version of the book, please download here.
REPORT LAUNCH - ZOOM AND FACEBOOK LIVE
Find out more on our new collaboration with the Chulalongkorn University via Zoom and Facebook Live, an online event for Report launch and Discussion: PATHWAYS TO A SUSTAINABLEA AND JUST TRANSFORMATION OF THE MEKONG REGION'S ELECTRICITY SECTOR.
Time: Thursday Jun 2nd, 2022 I 9:00 - 12:00 (ICT)
Click here for the timeline and panelist of the Launch:
Pathways to a Sustainable and Just Transformation of the Mekong Region’s Electricity Sector
Explore the PATHWAYS TO A SUSTAINABLE AND JUST TRANSFORMATION OF THE MEKONG REGION’S ELECTRICITY SECTOR with our new publication in collaboration with the Chulalongkorn University (CSDS) and 24 researchers from academic institutions, think tanks and civil society organizations. The publication will be available for download from Thursday 2nd of June 2022.
The report includes 13 think-pieces that present diverse aspects on the opportunities and challenges in obtaining “sustainable and just electricity transformation” in the Mekong Region. The report aims to create new ground for electricity debates at scales from the local to the regional, and has been intended to stimulate public discussion of the wide – ranging implications of electricity planning from a social, ecological and economic standpoint.
The Report will be available for download from 2nd of June 2022.
For the original publish of the Report, please visit the link here.
