Asian countries discuss climate change adaptation
An international seminar was held in the central province of Binh Dinh on May 9 to seek ways to cope with natural disasters in the context of climate change in Asian cities.
The event was co-hosted by the provincial People’s Committee, Rockefeller Foundation, Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET), and the Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN).
Thongchai Roachanakanan, senior architect of the Thai Interior Ministry’s Town and Country Planning and Public Works, cited the historic flood in Thailand in 2011 as an example, saying that it was due to deforestation, rapid urban development and the emergence of industrial zones in eastern Bangkok.
He suggested paying more attention to nature, adding that natural disasters, including storms and floods, have become more complicated and unpredictable.
Thai representatives also discussed the interaction between socio-economic development and the law of nature.
Since 2009, Binh Dinh has been involved in the second stage of the ACCCRN programme and collaborated with ISET to assess vulnerability, work out scenarios for climate change and rising sea levels in the city. It has conducted pilot sub-projects in response to climate change under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation.
In 2010, the province continued to implement the third stage of the ACCCRN programme. A coordinator office was set up to regulate, manage and implement activities regarding climate change in the locality.
A series of projects to study the impact of flooding on urban development in Quy Nhon’s Nhon Binh precinct and minimise flood risks in areas downstream Ha Thanh and Kon rivers in Quy Nhon have proved successful.
Representatives from Danang and Can Tho also touched upon climate change impact, future trends and Greater Mekong Sub-regional integration.