Vietnam, NGOs Join Hands to Tackle Climate Change

The Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) will join hands with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in coping with negative impacts of climate change next years.
The ministry’s Hydro-Meteorological and Climate Change Department, Vietnamese Non-Governmental Organizations and Climate Change (VNGO&CC), and the Climate Change Working Group (CCWG) inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the issue in Hanoi on Nov 18. Under the MoU, all parties will collaborate in holding national forums, seminars, and dialogues on climate change. The department will take responsibility for ensuring the participation of ministries and agencies in activities within the framework of the MoU while CCWG will launch cooperation projects focusing on the community-based climate change adaptation, enhancement of building capacity, and the ecosystem-based response. To date, 11 out of 63 provinces and cities have completed their climate change adaptation plans, most of which are central coastal and Mekong Delta coastal provinces. These plans are part of the national target program on copping with climate change, experts said. The department emphasized the crucial role of NGOs, saying that they are experienced in conducting activities in communities. Thus, such organizations will be able to contribute to the effective fulfillment of the national target program. Set up in Feb 2008, the CCWG is aimed at mitigating the vulnerability of poor people in Vietnam to climate change. The VNGO&CC made its debut seven months later in Sept 2008, aiming to join efforts with the government to respond to climate change challenges.  Vietnam is listed among five hardest-hit countries by climate change. If sea level rises one meter, 5% of land, 11% of population and 7% of agricultural land of the country would be affected with the losses estimated at 10% of GDP. So far, the Vietnamese government has mobilized over $1.2 billion in aid from the international community in efforts to deal with climate change. (vov.vn Nov 18, vietnamplus.vn Nov 18)