Committee told to up int’l cooperation in climate change response

At the committee’s eighth meeting in Hanoi, 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 Vietnam 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 Vietnam 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.