The Government announced it is earmarking VND1.96 trillion (US$111 million) for measures to cope with climate change at a workshop held in Hai Phong on June 4.

Half the money, to be spent over six years, will come from foreign assistance, 30 per cent from the Government, 10 per cent from the local government, and 10 per cent from other sources.

As the Southeast Asian nation is more at risk from rising sea levels, higher temperatures, falling agricultural yields and more frequent extreme weather events, provinces are required to report on the effects of any rise in sea temperature and the effects of weather changes to adopt measures to counter their impacts.

It has been predicted that by the end of this century the average temperature in the country could increase by 2.3 degrees Celsius from 1980-1999 and the sea water level could rise 74cm.

The workshop, titled “Conservation of biological diversity and adaptation to climate changes” was organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment’s Department of Biological Diversity, the Department of Hydrometeorology, Vietnam Association for conservation of Nature and Environment, and the Hai Phong Department of Natural Resources and Environment to mark World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June.

VietNamNet/SGGP