Vietnam Mekong Delta Province Plans over $827M for Climate Change Response

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, whose coastal line stretches 254km, will earmark VND19 trillion ($827.68 million) for the mitigation of climate change impacts in the 2021 – 2030 period. The sum, mostly sourced from the State budget and official development assistance, will be spent on 55 prioritized tasks and projects. A lion’s share of the amount, VND5 trillion, will be spent on building 100 km of sea dyke on its eastern coast, while VND1.2 trillion will be used to upgrade drainage systems in Ca Mau city; and VND1.5 trillion to boost climate change adaptation capacity for urban areas in local districts and cities. The Ca Mau People’s Committee said between now and 2030, it will step up the monitoring of climate change via the development of advanced hydro-meteorological observation stations to promptly update public agencies and locals on relevant information. In the past years, climate change led to the loss of nearly 10,000 hectares of coastal land and forest in Ca Mau. On a larger scale, the Mekong Delta has been facing more severe heat, drought, saline intrusion, and coastal erosion as a result of global warming. (Vietnam Plus)