Deltas around the world are under increasing pressure from climate change, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, flooding, groundwater salinisation, and salinity intrusion. Although local circumstances differ, countries often face similar questions: how can scientific knowledge be translated into practical decisions, how can institutions work together more effectively, and how can adaptation measures be scaled up over time?
A recent series of IPDC webinars brought together experiences from Colombia, Egypt, and Vietnam. The discussions showed that climate resilience depends not only on understanding risks, but also on strengthening data systems, building capacity, involving local communities, and turning technical insights into long-term adaptation strategies. The main lessons from the webinar series are set out below.
Colombia: connecting science, policy, and communities
In Colombia, integrated coastal zone management has helped address the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion. The IPDC’s Colombia activities focused on strengthening scientific knowledge, building institutional capacity, and supporting policy development in line with national priorities and international commitments.
Nature-based solutions played an important role, particularly for the coastal communities of San Andrés, Providencia, and Santa Catalina. These measures were developed through participatory processes with local institutions and communities, helping to ensure that solutions responded to local conditions and needs.
Capacity development has been another priority. Colombia’s TrainCoast programme equipped professionals with the knowledge and tools needed to understand coastal change and manage erosion more effectively. In parallel, research into shoreline evolution and coastal monitoring in the southern Colombian Caribbean combined open-source modelling tools with historical and environmental data to support planning and decision-making.
These initiatives show the value of linking science, policy, and local participation. They also underline the importance of collaboration between research institutions, governments, and coastal communities when developing climate-resilient coastal strategies.
Egypt and Vietnam: protecting freshwater resources
Freshwater systems in many coastal and delta regions are also becoming more vulnerable. Over-abstraction, reduced recharge, sea-level rise, and changing land use can all increase the risk of salinisation. Egypt, Vietnam, and Bangladesh responded through better monitoring, modelling, governance, and practical groundwater-management solutions.
Understanding groundwater salinisation in Egypt
In Egypt, groundwater salinisation is a growing concern in coastal zones and the Nile Delta. An IPDC project improved understanding of saltwater intrusion and supported more informed groundwater management.
The project brought together salinity-risk mapping, monitoring-network design, groundwater-flow modelling, and capacity development. It also built on earlier collaboration by using tools such as Salt Miner, which applies AI-supported data extraction to improve access to salinity information and support evidence-based planning.
A key part of the work was strengthening groundwater monitoring. By assessing existing networks, identifying data gaps, and developing a three-dimensional groundwater model, the project explored future salinity trends under changing climate and abstraction conditions.
Possible measures include managed aquifer recharge, the use of brackish water, salt-tolerant crops, and wastewater reuse. Field exchanges between Egypt and the Netherlands have also supported practical knowledge sharing on coastal groundwater management.
Scaling managed aquifer recharge in Vietnam
Vietnam piloted managed aquifer recharge across several aquifer systems, particularly in the Mekong Delta, where groundwater depletion and land subsidence are major challenges. These pilots provided practical experience for improving groundwater resilience in areas where freshwater availability is under pressure.
Building on this experience, the IPDC developed managed aquifer recharge guidelines for government authorities, consultants and technical experts, and investors and project developers. The guidelines translated pilot lessons into practical frameworks for wider implementation, regulation, and long-term groundwater management.
Learning across regions
The experiences from Egypt, Vietnam, and Bangladesh pointed to shared priorities: stronger monitoring systems, better data availability, clearer institutional responsibilities, and sustainable financing. These were essential for moving from pilots and studies to long-term groundwater-management strategies.
Regional exchange also helped countries learn from each other’s successes and challenges. Experience from Bangladesh, for example, highlighted the need for operational sustainability, community engagement, and strong institutional coordination to keep groundwater systems and managed aquifer recharge interventions functioning over time.
Using data to support flood-risk decisions in Egypt
In Egypt’s Marsa Matruh region, the IPDC has supported work on climate-resilient flood-risk management. The area is highly vulnerable to flooding, including impacts from extreme events such as Storm Daniel. The study covers seven wadis affecting the city and aims to develop practical guidance for national flood-risk management.
Extensive field data collection supported advanced flood modelling and scenario analysis under different climate futures, including temperature increases of 1°C and 2°C. The modelling also explored the combined effects of climate change, land-use change, and adaptation measures such as upstream storage, flow diversion, and nature-based solutions.
The project highlighted the importance of centralised and well-maintained exposure data, prioritising high-risk watersheds, integrating future urban development into planning, strengthening public awareness and preparedness, and translating modelling outputs into actionable investment priorities.
Assessing flood and salinity risks in Vietnam
In Vietnam’s Red River Delta, climate adaptation efforts were also supported by data and modelling. In Ninh Binh province, more than 30 years of hydrodynamic data were analysed to identify long-term trends. The analysis showed that changes were driven by both climate change and human activities, including sand mining and upstream dam construction.
Using national climate scenarios, the study assessed future risks of flooding and salinity intrusion. The results showed increasing flood severity in parts of the region, with implications for agriculture, infrastructure, and reservoir safety. Local decision-makers could use these findings to make more informed adaptation choices.
Shared lessons for climate-resilient deltas
The examples from Colombia, Egypt, and Vietnam confirm that climate resilience depends on the ability to connect knowledge, institutions, and action. Data and modelling are essential, but their value increases when they are linked to policy processes, local priorities, and practical investment decisions.
Common priorities included strengthening centralised data systems, incorporating socioeconomic factors into risk analysis, addressing human pressures such as land subsidence, sand mining, and changing land use, and improving coordination between institutions responsible for water and coastal management.
The examples also showed that long-term adaptation requires more than technical solutions. It depends on sustained investment, capacity development, community engagement, and international cooperation.
Thank you to all webinar speakers and participants!
