The Vietnamese government is calling for support from the World Bank (WB) to build a strategy for climate change adaptation in the Mekong Delta region, the country’s rice bowl, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang. While there are many regional studies on this subject, there is no overall study on the region, and thus, the WB is expected to help check all studies so that Vietnam could make an action plan on climate change response for the region, the country’s hardest hit by changing climate patterns. The overall study should include measures to mitigate the impacts of floods as well as reduce poverty and tackle other challenges caused by climate change, Mr. Thang added. Dinh Vu Thanh, head of the Department of Science and Technology, urged to integrate the use of sustainable natural resources and the development of agriculture infrastructure into climate change response plan. He also expected the WB and other agencies to help boost the climate change-resilient agriculture model. The Mekong Delta region, Vietnam’s largest rice granary and aquaculture, is forecast to suffer heavily from severe flooding caused by rising sea levels. If sea level rises by 100cm, up to 92% of areas in the region will be underwater for six to eight months yearly, as shown in a recent report by the United Nations Development Program. (Kinh Te Viet Nam The Gioi –Vietnam & World Economy Sept 18 p2)
