PM chairs National Climate Change Committee’s meeting
On January 11, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung presided over the first meeting of the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC), with the participation of Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai and representatives from various ministries and sectors.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s report on activities to cope with climate change, many policies and mechanisms responding to climate change have been adopted and proved effective.
By late 2011, 15 provinces and cities across the country have built action plans to cope with climate change while raising public awareness of the need to respond to this issue. In addition, international assistance and cooperation with Vietnam in this field has paid off well, thanks to the country’s improved international status.
At the meeting, NCCC members heard reports on green growth strategy, irrigation planning for the Mekong River Delta in the face of climate change-driven sea level rise, and the results of cooperation with the Netherlands on Mekong River Delta planning.
In his speech, PM Dung said being one of the countries most heavily affected by natural disasters, Vietnam regards responding to climate change as a vital issue in connection with its future sustainable development. Consequently, Vietnam has approved the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, and worked out national programmes and strategies on climate change which have received great acclaim from the international community.
Regarding key tasks in the future, PM Dung said it is essential for the NCCC to devise immediate and long-term action plans, programmes and strategies to cope with climate change.
He asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to finalise a national action plan on climate change, update scenarios on sea level rise and set up a council to appraise the list of projects that need investment in the 2012-2015 period.
The Government leader also requested the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to complete irrigation planning for the Mekong River Delta, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment to accomplish the framework strategy for green growth.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment will coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to issue a circular guiding the use of climate change aid.