Vietnam Focused on Tackling Climate Change

Vietnam has the fourth highest number of clean development mechanism (CDM) projects in the world and it has received the ninth highest number of certified emissions reduction (CER) units. These figures reflect the seriousness with which the Party and the Government are tackling climate change challenges, a Vietnam News Agency report says. It says Vietnam so far has implemented 160 CDM projects dictated by the Kyoto Protocol and has been granted a total of nearly seven million CER units. As one of the countries that are set to endure the worst impacts of climate change, the country is taking comprehensive preparatory steps. The VNA cites a report from the Central Committee for Flood and Storm Control as saying that in the last 15 years, natural calamities like storms, flash floods, landslides, drought and salt intrusion have left 10,711 dead or missing. It estimated the damage at 1.5%of the GDP each year. In its Political Platform on developing the country in the transitional period toward socialism, revised in 2011, the Communist Party of Vietnam pledged to seriously research and forecast the impacts of climate change and implement risk limiting solutions. As a result, the National Assembly and Government have developed and issued many policies and laws, gradually creating a legal framework and policy environment to tackle climate change adaptation challenges. The laws already enforced include the National Strategy for Disaster Prevention, Response and Mitigation to 2020; the Irrigation Development Strategy to 2020; the Hydrometeorology Development Strategy; the Green Growth Strategy; the Water Resources Law; and the National Strategy and National Plan of Action on Climate Change. A National Committee on Climate Change has been formed to co-ordinate inter-sector efforts to implement these strategies. The Government has allocated further funding for scientific and technological research on climate change. Loans with favorable interest rates as well as non-refundable aid from international organizations and foreign governments totaling over $500 million since 2010, have been channeled into the climate change response. Localities themselves have taken advantage of local contributions from individuals and political-social organizations to organize disaster relief operations. Vietnam has also achieved progress in international co-operation and integration for its climate change response, earning recognition from its partners and drawing more assistance, the report says. The Climate Change and Rising Sea Levels Scenarios for Vietnam, introduced by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) in June 2009 and updated on March 2012, provides an important basis for assessing the likely impacts of climate change. Nguyen Van Tue, Director of the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change under the MoNRE, said disaster prevention and mitigation efforts had been strengthened over the years and the process would continue. (http://vietnamnews.vn/ May 6)