Da Nang prepares for impact of climate change

Vietnam News: Strategic plans are being made in Da Nang to adapt to climate change at a time when the central city is particularly vulnerable. Thai Van Quang, an official from the municipal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said yesterday that the plans included incorporating climate change into the city's master plan until 2025. They were also designed to improve natural disaster warning systems, develope funds for post-disaster support, and enhance people's awareness of environmental protection.

Natural calamities that most affect the city are storms, floods, drought, sea and river shore erosion, and salt water penetration. According to Quang, there have been 21 typhoons in the city since 1998 while there was an average of only one per year before that.

On average, 500ha of rice, 200ha of aquaculture areas and 10,000ha of forest face high risks of fire during dry seasons, he said, while around 700ha of land are penetrated by salt water every year. Quang said the ever increasing problems are having a significant impact on the city's electricity, water, traffic and irrigation systems as well as people's health….

A street market in Da Nang, shot by Thomas Schoch, Wikimedia Commons, under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license