A ceremony to mark World Meteorological Day (March 23) themed “Weather and climate: engaging youth” was held in Hanoi on March 21, with calls on youngsters to cope with climate change, especially through policy-making. Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Linh Ngoc, in his address, urged young people to stand firm in order to protect the environment. Everyone should play their part by cleaning the streets, planting trees or protecting water resources, he said. Businesses should comply with environment protection regulations and switch to environmentally-friendly technologies to minimize gas emissions - a major cause of climate change, he added. On the morning of the same day, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCMCYU) chapter of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment launched a cycling tour to mark the occasion. Also taking place on March 21 in the capital was a workshop reviewing the World Bank’s Country Partnership Program on climate change. The project, also known as a trust fund under the auspices of the UK Department for International Development, is meant to strengthen coordination among the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Industry and Trade, Planning and Investment, Agriculture and Rural Development, and Transport. It also supports activities under the Support Program on Adaptation to Climate Change and the government’s strategy on climate change and green growth, said World Bank Country Director Victoria Kwakwa. Studies on green growth, sustainable development and low carbon emissions were also launched at the event. (Vietnamplus.vn March 21)
