Lessening negative impact of climate change

Akiko Fujii, the UNDP deputy country director for Vietnam described climate change as the single most pressing danger facing the nation at a recent workshop in Hanoi and called it ‘a critical issue’ of the utmost importance.

Citing statistics from the Global Risk Index 2017, she noted that over the past nearly five decades an estimated 300 deaths have occurred annually in the country as a direct result of natural disasters.

Not only had the cost in human life been great, but the calamitous effects of climate change had cost the country in economic terms roughly 1.5% of its gross domestic product each year as well.

Extreme weather conditions brought about by the vagaries of climate change had directly or indirectly resulted in some 5,000 natural catastrophes in the country over the past nearly half century.

Recent evidence based on the extreme drought and El Nino for the 2-year period 2015-2016 resulted in millions of Vietnamese farmers suffering massive financial losses and clearly indicate the costs are continuing to mount at a faster pace, said the UNDP Deputy Country Director.

She praised the Vietnam government for its staunch support of the Paris agreement on climate and said: The government understand that it is in the national interest to act on climate change.

The challenge ahead is formidable and there is no time to lose, Ms Fujii underscored.

The inter-ministerial workshop focused on evaluating the negative impacts of climate change on Vietnam and was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in cooperation with the UNDP.

It was held the second full week of June 2017 and attended by approximately 100 governmental ministry delegates along with international climate change and disaster prevention guest experts.

Raising Awareness, Fighting the Impacts

The seminar focused on updating the impact of climate change within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, such as raising awareness about the financial risk in the context of climate change and exploring how to effectively utilize tools to manage these risks.

Deputy Minister Hoang Van Thang of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in turn praised the workshop, saying it was a good opportunity to discuss mutual interests, practical experiences and useful policies to calculate, assess, and evaluate the impact of climate change.

Last year saw freezing cold in the north, prolonged drought in central and central highlands and saltwater intrusion in Mekong Delta region, all of which are the result of climate change.

Most notably recent summer temperatures had been the hottest in nearly 50 years, he concluded.