GEF Wants to Assist Vietnam in Urban Development, Climate Change Response

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) can assist Vietnam in sustainable urban development and climate change response in the Mekong Delta, said CEO and Chairwoman Naoko Ishii at a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Paris on Nov 30. During the talks on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) in the French capital city, Ms. Naoko expressed her concerns over sea level rise in the Mekong Delta and pledged to consider supporting Vietnam in the fight against climate change in the delta and in cooperation with regional countries in protecting and using water resources of the Mekong River in a sustainable manner. In turn, PM Dung suggested the GEF aid Vietnam’s environment projects to help the Southeast Asian nation ensure the fulfillment of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He also affirmed that Vietnam effectively addressed environment-related matters such as chemicals, harmful waste, biodiversity, climate change and land and water degradation. (Vietnam News Agency Dec 1)