The Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) held a ceremony in Hanoi on Wednesday to announce the National Strategy on Climate Change and possible scenarios on climate change and sea level rising in Vietnam.
The event attracted representatives from ministries and relevant agencies, international organizations and non-government organizations, and press media.
Addressing the ceremony, MNRE Minister Nguyen Minh Quang stressed that to be well aware of the impacts by climate change to the national development, the Vietnamese government has signed in the United Nations’ framework convention on climate change and the Kyoto protocol, and perfected legal documents for the work to reduce impacts of natural disasters and climate change.
In December 2008, the prime minister approved the National Target Program in response to climate change and since together with the world community implemented the goals for sustainable development, he said.
Vietnam’s National Strategy on Climate Change was approved by the prime minister in December 2011, with six major parts: climate change challenges and opportunities for Vietnam; strategic viewpoint; vision to the year 2100; goals by 2050; strategic tasks and implementation.
Accordingly, during 2011-2015, programs will be prioritized, including the national target program to respond to climate change and an expanded plan for 2016-2025, programs on water resource management and response to climate change implemented in the Mekong river delta and the Red river delta, program to respond to climate change in Vietnam’s big urban areas, and others.
According to Professor Dr. Tran Thuc, director of the Hydrometeorology and Climate Change Institute, in 2009, MNRE completed and made public the scenarios on climate change and sea level rising in Vietnam, which was updated in 2012 with latest data and information.
International delegates to the meeting spoke highly of Vietnam’ s efforts in joining the world community’s response to climate change worldwide, and pledged to continue supporting the country with budget and technology to effectively handle the impacts.
