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The worst floods often arrive during a La Niña event. Photo V.L |
Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (IMHEN) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) held a workshop on the capacity building for responding to climate change in Quy Nhon city. Director of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Centre, Nguyen Duc Ngu, talks more about the issue.
Could you reveal the climate change in Vietnam?
The climate change in Vietnam is the change in weather. The number of storms on the East sea and in Vietnam reduced, but there are more heavy storms.
Also, the stormy season often becomes longer at the end of the year and southern provinces are affected most.
The impact of El Niño and La Niña, the two extremes of the ocean-atmosphere cycle, is clearly showed in Vietnam.
During an El Niño event, heavy drought happens on wide areas, particularly in central region; whilst, the worst floods often arrive during a La Niña event.
Experts said Vietnam would be among the five countries worst affected by climate change and sea-level rises.
It said that a one-metre rise in sea levels would leave 40,000 sq km of coastal area and Mekong Delta provinces under water, cutting 10 per cent off the country’s gross domestic product.
The climate change also makes storms more fierce and small rivers in central region dry.
What must we do to respond to climate change?
It’s necessary to build a national strategy for dealing with climate change, in which the climate change adaptation is the key issue. Good practice on climate change adaptation will help not only reduce its impact but curb its development.
The climate change adaptation needs to be given priority in localities and all fields, such as focusing on policies and projects of capacity building for responding to climate change, institutionalizing events dealing with climate change, and raising the community’s awareness of climate change.
Climate change in Vietnam includes not only challenges but opportunities. With GHG emissions, for instance, Vietnam hasn’t been tied by Kyoto Protocol. It could, therefore, take advantage of financial sources and advanced technologies transferred from developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol to speed up the development and effectively deal with climate change.
Responding to climate change, Vietnam also has opportunities for business, technology innovation, and employment.
Could you talk more about the “Strengthening national capacities to respond to Climate Change in Viet Nam, reducing vulnerability and controlling GHG emissions” project?
IMHEN will implement the UNDP-funded project “Strengthening national capacities to respond to Climate Change in Viet Nam, reducing vulnerability and controlling GHG emissions’ worth US$4 million from 2009-2012.
The project aims to have frameworks, mechanisms and capacities in place to inform, guide and coordinate (i) analysis of climate change related risks and formulation of Climate change adaptation policy responses and investment plans; and (ii) analysis of Green House Gas emissions, and formulation of investment plans and ways to change consumer behaviour for low-carbon economic development.
The workshop held in Quy Nhon city recently could be considered as an initial step for the implementation of the project.
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