Flooding in the Mekong Delta region. Vietnam is predicted to be one of the countries most vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change such as rising sea water, storms and other natural calamities.

Deputy minister Tran Hong Ha told the Daily on Wednesday that capacity building and preparations were being accelerated so that projects could be implemented from 2015. The country is now in the second phase of a three-phase strategic program to adapt itself to climate change, Ha said.

“Under the national strategic program for dealing with climate change, related ministries and provincial governments are currently preparing related documents and action plans for adaptation,” he said.

The strategic program comprises three phases, with the first phase for building the program from 2008 to 2010, the second phase for drafting concrete action plans from 2010 to 2015, and the third phase for kick-starting the action plans.

Ha said he expected the projects for dealing with climate change to be completed by 2015 so that the country should be able to carry out all the prepared action plans for reducing the negative impacts of climate change in both social and economic aspects.

International organizations and other countries have already pledged total funds of some US$1 billion for Vietnam to carry out the national strategic program of dealing with climate change, according to the ministry’s website. Ha explained that the sum included both technical grants and loans.

With a long coastline, Vietnam is predicted to be one of the countries most vulnerable to negative impacts of climate change such as rising sea water, storms and other natural calamities, according to the environmental ministry

(SCG, 31/12/2010)