Story contributed by Renz Prudenciado and Dr. Malay Pramanik, AIT ReTrEAT Cities project.
14 June 2025, Cần Giờ, Vietnam – Creativity, community voices, and inclusion came together at a climate resilience co-creation participatory workshop led by researchers from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT). Through storytelling and shared experiences, the event highlighted youth leadership and the importance of gender and disability inclusion in climate action.
Residents in Cần Giờ, Vietnam, share local insights on climate resilience during the ReTrEAT Cities workshop. (Photo: Malay Pramanik)
Held on June 12 – 13, 2025, the ReTrEAT Cities Workshop welcomed over 15 residents from Cần Giờ, a coastal district of Ho Chi Minh City, who shared their lived experiences of sea level rise and explored local solutions for climate adaptation.
“People living along the coast feel the effect of sea level rise before anyone else, experiencing both its potential benefits and the harm it can cause,” said Dr. Malay Pramanik, ReTrEAT Cities Project Leader and Chair of AIT’s Urban Innovation and Sustainability program at the School of Environment, Resources and Development.
This was the first in a series of three ReTrEAT Cities workshops across Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. The initiative encourages communities to shape their own adaptation strategies.
“This project is important for the Cần Giờ community because they live just outside the mangrove forests and face direct risks from sea level rise,” said Professor Chu Thai Hoanh, project consultant and Emeritus Scientist at the International Water Management Institute.
Prof. Hoanh and Dr. Pramanik stressed that sea level rise is still overlooked in policy, urging a shift toward community-led, inclusive planning.
Vietnamese residents, ReTrEAT Cities fellows, partners, and consultants gather for a group photo during the participatory workshop. (Photo: Malay Pramanik)
Creativity in the Mangroves: Youth Voices for Conservation
The workshop highlighted the power of art and storytelling in engaging youth and promoting environmental awareness. Mangrove forests, more than just a vital ecological buffer, also served as cultural classrooms.
A painted nón lá by young artist Vo Thi Ngoc Hien shows Mother Nature in tears: a powerful call for climate action. (Photo: Renz Prudenciado)
“Art is not just for expression; it helps us learn from youth about conservation,” said Vo Van Phang from the local Department of Agriculture and Environment, Vietnam. He added that mangroves live not just through policies, but through emotion.
GEDSI in Action: Gender, Disability, and Social Justice
A key session on Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) was led by ReTrEAT Cities fellow Renz Prudenciado, who helped turn policy discussions into meaningful personal dialogue.
“The sea level rise pushes the snails further inland, making harvesting more difficult,” shared one local woman living with a walking disability. Her story, among others, added depth to the conversation on how climate change affects vulnerable groups.
“We are not here to teach GEDSI, we are here to help communities shape what it means to them,” Prudenciado said. “Feminism includes men too; it’s about challenging systems that exclude or marginalize people.”
Professor Hoanh noted that the workshop created space for participants to become research partners, sharing ideas to support elders, women, children, and people with disabilities.
In closing, Prudenciado encouraged everyone to reflect: “Value your own experiences and those of your neighbors. Climate justice begins with the voices we uplift.”
Renz Prudenciado shares findings from coastal villages in Thailand on GEDSI challenges and opportunities. (Photo: Malay Pramanik)
Early-Career Researchers Lead Inclusive Dialogue
The ReTrEAT Cities Project includes early-career researchers as co-facilitators. AIT fellows Renz Prudenciado (Gender and Development Studies), Phat Chandara (Climate Change for Sustainable Development), and Pyae Mon Naing (Urban Innovation and Sustainability) played key roles in connecting academic knowledge with local realities.
“Every expert starts somewhere,” said Dr. Pramanik. “Fresh voices bring energy, creativity, and hope, and when generations work together, we create lasting solutions.”
After the workshop, the AIT team visited Vũng Tàu, Long Son, Cần Giờ, Vietnam to meet with small- and large-scale fishers and deepen their understanding of local climate challenges. In Long Son, fieldwork revealed the resilience of coastal women, who prepare seashells daily, a livelihood rooted in tradition and strength.
Vietnamese women working in coastal fisheries prepare seashells for sale by hammering them open—a daily livelihood rooted in tradition and resilience. Field work in Long Son, Vietnam. Photo by Malay Pramanik.
Projects like ReTrEAT Cities remind us that real participation means involving communities from the beginning, not just asking for their input after decisions have already been made. If people are only consulted once the plans are set, is that truly participation – or simply a polite way of taking their stories without sharing power?
Looking Ahead: Cambodia and Thailand Next
The ReTrEAT Cities Project will continue with upcoming workshops in Cambodia and Thailand, staying focused on inclusive and community-led climate adaptation.
The project reminds us that real participation starts from the beginning. It’s not just about listening to stories; it’s about working together and sharing decisions that shape the future.
Edited by AIT Public Affairs
Fieldwork in Vũng Tàu, Vietnam. (Photo: Malay Pramanik)
