A long-term plan for climate change in Vietnam

Vietnamnet Bridge: Truong Hong Tien, Deputy Director General of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee, said that global warming and its impacts were inevitable and very much in evidence. "Although the negotiations at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is crucial to our efforts in tackling climate change, we are aware that whatever limits are imposed on greenhouse gas emissions today, some level of warming of the earth will take place."

He said the ongoing global warming process would lead to an increase in weather extremes, causing severe droughts and excessive rain. These events have become more frequent and intense in many parts of the world, and the Lower Mekong Basin was particularly vulnerable to these hazards, Tien said.

Over the past few years, an increase in damage caused by extreme weather events was witnessed in the lower Mekong Basin, he said. "From the mountainous areas of northern Laos to the low-lying Mekong Delta of Viet Nam, the impacts of climate change are being felt thoroughly," Tien said.

"We can hear news more often about floods, droughts and storms which affect the well-being and livelihoods of weather-dependent communities." Tien said people in the lower Mekong River basin have been adapting themselves to the surroundings for centuries.

For instance, raised houses were typical in areas that used to be flood-prone, Tien [said.]" "You can also look around and see that various agencies, civil society organisations, international, inter-governmental organisation and even the private sector in the region are making efforts to alleviate the crisis and minimise damage caused by climate change at the local level," ....

An old house in Hoi An, Vietnam, shot by Khương Việt Hà