Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang has been selected as one of the five localities to implement an Australia-funded project on dealing with the negative impacts of climate change.The project aims to raise the capacity in dealing with and adapting to climate change of the most vulnerable groups, especially women living in coastal areas affected by natural disasters.Particularly, poor families, fish farmers and households with disabled people in ten coastal communes in Go Cong Tay and Tan Phu Dong districts will benefit from this project.The AUD3 million ($3.18 million) project, to be carried out by the Australian Oxfam non-government organization from Aug 2012 to Dec 2014, will benefit 51,000 people in Haiphong city, the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Nam Dinh and the southern provinces of Tien Giang and Tra Vinh.The project will help policy makers reach out to a larger population in raising awareness on climate change impacts as well as minimize environmental damages to the province and country.
Earlier, Vietnam approved a non-refundable aid worth AUD8 million from the Australian government for the National Target Program to Respond to Climate Change and the Support Program to Respond to Climate Change in Vietnam in the 2012-2013 period.Vietnam is listed among five hardest-hit countries by climate change. If sea level rises by one meter, 5% of the country’s land, 11% of its population and 7% of its farmland would be affected. (Quan Doi Nhan Dan –People’s Army Jan 3, vietnamplus.vn Jan 3)
