“Humankind is facing great challenges on increasingly serious climate change and environmental degradation,” Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai told the gathering.

The main causes, Hai said, were “the over-consumption of energy, the over-exploitation of natural resources, extensive desertification as well as the rapid industrialization and urbanization that are out of control.

“Climate change and environmental degradation are posing big consequences at different levels to all countries without exception,” he said.

Delegates to the “Achieving Environmentally Sustainable Cities in East Asia” meeting agreed developing environmentally sustainable cities should be a priority for the region.

Nations should work together, sharing experiences and technology in urban planning and pollution control, the officials said.

“Vietnam is forecast to be one of the five countries that are most vulnerable to climate change and sea level rises,” Deputy PM Hai was quoted by AFP as saying.

Sea level rises from global warming would impact Vietnam more than most countries because of its long coastline and low-lying river deltas, where the major population and cooking-production centers are located, according to the World Bank.

The meeting was also attended by representatives from 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) members, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam; and Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand.

The next meeting will be held in Singapore.

Source: Thanh Nien, Agencies.