Vietnam PM OKs $2.49M More for Climate Change Adaptation

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has approved to add VND48.7 billion ($2.49 million) to a national program on climate change adaptation, the Nong Thon Ngay Nay newspaper said Sept 29.
The program with an initial investment of nearly VND1.97 trillion will be carried out in the period of 2009-2015. The program is aimed to assess the negative impacts of climate change on many sectors and fields, raise the public awareness of climate change and develop human resource as well as build action plans of ministries and agencies to deal with the matter. In late July, the U.S. government approved a three-year program to help downstream countries of the Mekong River including Vietnam adapt to climate change and manage natural water sources, with a pledge of $3 million for the first year. The Vietnamese government is also mulling over a plan to set up a national forum on natural disaster mitigation and response to climate change. Vietnam is listed among five hardest-hit countries by climate change. If sea level rises one meter, 5% of the country’s land, 11% of its population and 7% of its agricultural land would be affected with the loss estimated at 10% of GDP. (Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today Sept 29 p2)