The Vietnamese Ministry of Construction is seeking the prime minister’s approval for a VND288 billion ($13.78 million) research project on coastal urban areas development in the context of climate change The project will be implemented in 34 provinces and cities, including 335 urban areas in 28 localities and 70 others in the six Mekong Delta provinces. The impacts of climate change is showing clear signs across the country with higher flood tides, more severe floods, droughts and salinity intrusion in recent years, experts said, urging all ministries, economic sectors and localities to immediately carry out a series of urgent action plans to deal with the issue. Vietnam is listed among five hardest-hit countries by climate change. If sea level rises one meter, 5% of Vietnam’s land, 11% of its population and 7% of its agricultural land would be affected with the losses estimated at 10% of GDP. The country will annually need nearly $850 million to cope with impacts of climate change in the 2010-2050 period, the World Bank (WB) estimated. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam – Vietnam Economic Times April 21 p2)
