The National Committee for Climate Change
needs to enhance international cooperation and learn from other countries’
experience to promote climate change response in Viet Nam, Prime Minister
Nguyen Xuan Phuc said on May 18th. At the committee’s eighth meeting in Ha Noi,
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that climate change
has appeared sooner than forecast. The Mekong Delta, the country’s important
agricultural hub, has suffered from the most severe impacts. Up to 10 of the 13
Mekong Delta provinces declared a state of disaster in the dry season last
year. Meanwhile, sea level rise eats up about 3 metres into land along the
coast in the central province of Phu Yen each year, the Ministry of Transport
said, citing an international organisation. In the climate change scenario
updated in 2016 by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the sea
level could rise by up to one metre by the end of the 21st century, flooding
nearly 39 percent of the Mekong Delta’s area, 18 percent of Ho Chi Minh City,
and 17 percent of the Red River Delta. Meanwhile, this scenario hasn’t taken
into account land subsidence due to groundwater exploitation and geological
changes. Participants said climate change has influenced Viet Nam more quickly
and strongly than expected, as seen in frequent extreme weather conditions and
serious natural disasters. They attributed the problem to human activities like
greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, sand mining on rivers and groundwater
overexploitation. While climate change response programmes need up to 30
billion USD to be carried out, the mobilisation of capital, including ODA
loans, is facing difficulties, they added. At the meeting, PM Phuc, who is also
Chairman of the National Committee for Climate Change, said although a number
of relevant resolutions and action programmes have been issued, many
ministries, sectors and localities have not fully realised the need to take
action. It is necessary to make all-level authorities, sectors and people fully
understand climate change and response measures since if people lack awareness,
any resources spent will be useless, he added. The national committee must
specify risks and opportunities of climate change in Viet Nam while making
overall plans to serve the building of needed tasks, he said, adding that the
urgent problems that need to be addressed now include illegal sand mining and
groundwater exploitation, and developing eco-cities. PM Phuc told the committee
to make use of people’s experience in climate change response and propose
revisions to legal regulations, including the Law on Natural Disaster
Prevention and Control. Regarding the limited funding for climate change
response, the Government leader requested the Ministry of Planning and
Investment to work with relevant agencies to allocate financial resources in a
transparent and effective manner, with priority given to the Mekong Delta. Ministries
and localities must devise concrete plans to carry out the assigned tasks in
the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change, he said.
Viet
Nam Plus – May 18 - http://en.vietnamplus.vn/committee-told-to-up-intl-cooperation-in-climate-change-response/111924.vnp;
Nhan Dan – People’s Daily – May 18 - http://vovworld.vn/en-US/news/unicef-urges-better-protection-for-refugee-and-migrant-children-543033.vov;
Viet Nam News – May 19 - http://vietnamnews.vn/environment/376705/pm-tells-committee-to-strengthen-intl-climate-change-co-operation.html#KJRtQtGT1EIweeGD.97
Committee told to up international cooperation in climate change response
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