Vietnam will require about VND44.5 trillion ($2.2 billion) to cope with climate change in the Mekong Delta by 2020, expert said at a recent meeting. The money would be used to build and upgrade facilities to protect residents and prevent flood and salinization, which is hurting the country’s paddy granary. Of the total, it needs VND11 trillion to build accommodation for residents; VND28.1 trillion for flood-preventing facilities; and VND5.4 trillion for dykes. Vietnam’s Mekong Delta suffers heavily from climate change impacts, particularly pollution in Mekong River resulted from upstream dam constructions. Currently, China is building four hydropower projects and plans to build four others; Cambodia is mulling over building two hydropower plants; and Laos is building Xayaburi and going to build Don Sahong hydropower projects. It is estimated that once the seawater rises by one meter, 39% of the delta areas would be affected. The experts said that the Mekong Delta is one three hardest-hit deltas by climate change in the world. Climate change is estimated to cause a loss worth $1.9 billion to Vietnam annually. (Sai Gon Giai Phong – Saigon Liberation Sept 8 p6)
