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Southeast Asia is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change, as it is home to 563 million people, with an annual population growth of around 2 percent, compared with the global average of 1.4, said the Asian Development Bank in its 2009 report on the economic impact of climate change on Southeast Asia.
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Southeast Asia is also a region with a long coastline and its population density and economic activities focus on coastal areas, while people’s livelihood is mainly in agriculture, according to the report.
Climate change has affected the region through the frequency and intensity of heat waves, droughts, floods, and tropical storms. It has also worsened droughts and degradation of coastal areas, hindered agricultural production, threatened food security, caused forest fires, and increased epidemics.
The workshop proposed that Vietnam seek appropriate economic growth models for continuous development while reducing the risks associated with the impacts of climate change.
Low-carbon development is a realistic option for Vietnam, as it can reduce its carbon emissions by up to 40 percent through 2020 while still pursuing its own economic development, said the participants.
V.N.A