The high-level dialogue between the National Steering Committee on Climate Change and development partners was held in Hanoi on October 25 with the aims to seek measures to help Vietnam in climate change mitigation.
The event was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister (PM) 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.
Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung said that climate change has become an urgent matter globally, and has been paid increasing attention of countries as well as humankind.
Deputy PM Dung noted that Vietnam is among 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 have killed and injured hundreds of people every year, while causing average loss of 1.9 billion USD, accounting for 1.3 percent of GDP each year. Climate change has also caused increasing number of extreme weather conditions in recent years, especially floods and drought with higher intensity and frequency.
Vietnam has been hit by 6-8 storms and low pressures each year, with more and more of them gaining in strength, causing heavy economic damage, the Deputy PM said.
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 devastated production, the life of locals and the environment, while slowing down the economic growth.
For the first time in many years, agriculture sector has experienced a decrease of 0.18 percent with the Winter-Spring rice crop’s production reduced by 1.34 million tonnes.
He also highlighted that the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change has opened up a new era of cooperation in climate change mitigation for sustainable development.
The Deputy PM said that the dialogue is a good chance for policy-makers and domestic and foreign scientists as well as development partners to discuss urgent problemss and seek solutions to help Vietnam deal with climate change.
He suggested that participants focus on four major issues, including the latest scientific research findings in climate change, and Vietnam’s plan of actions and efforts in preparation for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the country’s commitments in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) plan.
The Deputy PM informed the dialogue that immediately after the COP21 conference in Paris, the MoNRE in coordination with other ministries, agencies and local authorities designed a plan of actions to implement the Paris Agreement in Vietnam.
Vietnam is implementing its national strategy on climate change as well as other plans on green growth and renewable energy development while engaging in global efforts in the field.
At the dialogue, representatives of development partners, including the UN, the EU, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the World Bank in Vietnam, and the embassies of Denmark and the US, pledged to push on stronger cooperation with Vietnam in climate change response in the time ahead.
WB Country Director in Vietnam Ousmane Dione said that the bank will continue sharing experience and knowledge with Vietnam, while mobilising existing resources for the Support Programme to Response to Climate Change (SPRCC) in Vietnam.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung speaks at the event.
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Speaking at the event, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung said that climate change has become an urgent matter globally, and has been paid increasing attention of countries as well as humankind.
Deputy PM Dung noted that Vietnam is among 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 have killed and injured hundreds of people every year, while causing average loss of 1.9 billion USD, accounting for 1.3 percent of GDP each year. Climate change has also caused increasing number of extreme weather conditions in recent years, especially floods and drought with higher intensity and frequency.
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung talks with foreign delegates at the dialogue.
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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 devastated production, the life of locals and the environment, while slowing down the economic growth.
For the first time in many years, agriculture sector has experienced a decrease of 0.18 percent with the Winter-Spring rice crop’s production reduced by 1.34 million tonnes.
He also highlighted that the adoption of the Paris Agreement on climate change has opened up a new era of cooperation in climate change mitigation for sustainable development.
The Deputy PM said that the dialogue is a good chance for policy-makers and domestic and foreign scientists as well as development partners to discuss urgent problemss and seek solutions to help Vietnam deal with climate change.
He suggested that participants focus on four major issues, including the latest scientific research findings in climate change, and Vietnam’s plan of actions and efforts in preparation for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the country’s commitments in its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) plan.
The Deputy PM informed the dialogue that immediately after the COP21 conference in Paris, the MoNRE in coordination with other ministries, agencies and local authorities designed a plan of actions to implement the Paris Agreement in Vietnam.
Vietnam is implementing its national strategy on climate change as well as other plans on green growth and renewable energy development while engaging in global efforts in the field.
At the dialogue, representatives of development partners, including the UN, the EU, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the World Bank in Vietnam, and the embassies of Denmark and the US, pledged to push on stronger cooperation with Vietnam in climate change response in the time ahead.
WB Country Director in Vietnam Ousmane Dione said that the bank will continue sharing experience and knowledge with Vietnam, while mobilising existing resources for the Support Programme to Response to Climate Change (SPRCC) in Vietnam.
