Deputy PM: Vietnam is willing to cooperate to adapt to climate change for sustainable development

The National Steering Committee on Climate Change hosted a high-level climate change dialogue with development partners in Hanoi on October 25.

 

The event was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung, who is head of the National Steering Committee on Climate Change, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) Tran Hong Ha and UN Country Coordinator in Vietnam Pratibha Mehta.

He noted that Vietnam was among the countries most vulnerable to climate change, citing the World Risk Index which ranks Vietnam fifth in terms of damage inflicted by natural disasters.

 

Natural disasters had killed and injured hundreds of people every year, while causing average losses of US$1.9 billion, or 1.3% of GDP each year, he said, noting that Vietnam had been hit by six to eight storms and low pressure systems every year in recent years, with more and more of them gaining in strength and causing heavy economic damage.

 

The Deputy PM also noted that in 2016, severe cold spells in the North, prolonged drought in the Southern and Central Highlands regions and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta region had devastated production, the lives of locals and the environment, while slowing down economic growth.

 

Stressing that the dialogue was a good chance for policymakers and domestic and foreign scientists, as well as development partners, to discuss urgent matters and seek measures to help Vietnam deal with climate change, Deputy PM Dung suggested that participants focus on four major issues, which include the findings of the latest scientific research on climate change and Vietnam’s plan of action and efforts in preparation for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the country’s commitments in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) plan.

 

Deputy PM Dung also informed the audience at the event that immediately after the COP21 conference in Paris, the MoNRE in coordination with other ministries, agencies and local authorities designed a plan of action to implement the Paris Agreement in Vietnam, which set out specific targets and tasks with long-, medium- and short-term solutions assigned to ministries and sectors, as well as planned resources. The plan has been submitted to the PM for his consideration and approval.

 

The country aimed for an 8% reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 using domestic resources, or 25% if it received the support of the international community, he added.

 

(Source: NDO)