The two-day event offered an opportunity for APEC members to share experiences in coping with natural calamities and strengthen co-ordination among countries in case of emergency.

Speaking at the forum, deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong affirmed the importance of the forum in strengthening cooperation among countries and addressing the impact of natural calamities on APEC economies.

Mr Bong also emphasised that it is difficult to predict these global challenges.

Vietnam is considered one of the countries that hardest hit by climate change. According to statistics, Vietnam’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dropped by 1.5 percent due to natural calamities. It is estimated that if sea levels rise by 7.5 cm, 25 percent of the land area in the Mekong Delta will be lost. This will negatively impact Vietnam’s sustainable development and its implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MMG).

The deputy minister said that all countries should exchange information regularly in coping with natural calamities, especially those countries, which are most affected by climate change.

According to statistics, the Asia-Pacific region suffers 40 percent of all natural calamities in the world.