Vietnam most vulnerable to climate change

The Hanoi Times - Research carried out by Oxfam has revealed that Vietnam is among the world’s most vulnerable countries to the effects of climate change despite being o­ne of the nations least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions.

This has raised worries over the possible impact of climate change upon the country’s impressive socio-economic development.

“The Government’s impressive achievements in pulling millions of people out of poverty are being seriously jeopardised by the likely increases in extreme rainfall and drought, and by slow changes like a rise in sea levels and an warming temperature.”
The study made it clear that, as of 2000, the Southeast Asian nation was responsible for 0.35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, o­ne of the lowest rates in the world, however, the country experienced an average temperature rise of 0.1 degrees Celsius per decade between 1931 and 2000.
According to the report, “The sea level has risen between 2.5 and 3.0 cm per decade during the last 50 years and this study suggests that Vietnam will be the country most affected by a rise in sea-levels.”
It added “Also, and ironically in the light of rising average temperatures, people in the central and northern regions have reported spells of extraordinarily cold weather.”
The Oxfam study also demonstrates how increased public involvement in local natural disaster control programmes can help mitigate their vulnerability to flooding. Programmes governing building o­n higher ground, the refining and updating of the early warning system and adapting agricultural cycles to changes in climate changes have proven to be effective.
The Oxfam report also examined Government plans regarding adaptation to climate change. It said “Vietnam is able to build o­n a long history of strong institutional responses to natural disasters like floods and storms. However, these strategies focus o­n emergency responses to short-term climate extremes and reconstruction following them, rather than long-term adaption to future climate change. These are also not integrated into broader policies for sustainable rural development and poverty reduction.”
The organisation called for international assistance to help the developing country deal with these issues.
“The international community will have to play a major role in supporting the Government of Vietnam’s efforts to adapt to climate change, as the amount of investment needed is beyond its budgetary capacity,” said the UK non-government organisation.
According to the report, the total national budget required for disaster management and dyke construction during 2010-2020 is 1.2 trillion VND (roughly 750 million USD), even before the costs of climate change plans are factored in.
It cited a leading Vietnamese water resources expert as saying that the Government would have to provide funding of about 600 million USD by 2020 to reinforce and raise existing sea dykes along the length of the coastline from central Vietnam to the south-western provinces.