Foreign Donors Pledge $1.3B for Climate Change Response in Vietnam by 2015

International donors have pledged up to $1.3 billion for Vietnam’s climate change adaptation to deal with the potential negative environmental impacts in the 2010-2015 period, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The ministry released the figure at a recent meeting to announce a new climate change scenario 2012 and an action plan for climate change for the 2012-2020 period. Addressing the meeting, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment Nguyen Van Thang said that in 2012 Vietnam has updated its climate change database and used analytical methods while adapting the information for local levels. In the latest scenario, with a one-meter sea level rise, the risk of inundation is high for more than 10% of the Red River Delta, 2.5% of central coastal provinces and more than 20% of the HCM City area and 39% of the Mekong Delta. As a result, more than 4% of the railway system, 9% of national roads and 12% of provincial roads of Vietnam are also likely to be affected by climate change. Mr. Thang said Vietnam will update the scenario in 2015, one year after the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published the global and regional climate change scenarios in its 5th assessment. Negative impacts of climate change are manifesting across Vietnam and will severely harm agriculture and related sectors. If sea level rises by one meter, 5% of the country’s land, 11% of its population and 7% of its agricultural land would be affected with losses estimated at 10% of GDP. (Nong Thon Ngay Nay – Countryside Today April 18 p5, Sai Gon Giai Phong –Saigon Liberation April 18)