LookAtVietnam – A national meeting, “Your Planet Needs You - Unite to Combat Climate Change”, will be held in Hai Phong city tomorrow, June 5,

People try to escape from flooded areas in Thua Thien-Hue city province’s Huong Tra district.

In Ha Noi, residents of all 29 districts and townships, Youth Union members and students will help clean-up roads and public areas. In HCM City, “Swapping Day” will be held at the Labour Cultural Palace, where visitors will receive information about environmental protection.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon recently said the earth was facing the grave threat of climate change. While all countries would suffer, the poor would bear the brunt of the impact.

“We do, however, also have an opportunity to change course. Crucial climate change talks will take place in Copenhagen in December. Together, we must press governments to ‘seal the deal’ for a new climate agreement,” said the UN Secretary General in his message.

Viet Nam was considered as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and rising sea levels. The Cuu Long (Mekong) and Hong (Red) river deltas were projected to be the most seriously affected, said Director of the Viet Nam Institute of Hydro-Meteorology and Environment Tran Thuc.

Thuc said the country’s annual average temperature had increased by about 0.7 degrees Celsius over the past 50 years. Typhoon trajectory’s had moved southward and the typhoon season had shifted to later in the year.

“The impacts of climate change to Viet Nam are serious, a challenge to hunger eradication and poverty reduction, millennium development goals and the country’s sustainable development,” said Thuc.

Manh Hoa from MONRE’s Hydrometeorology and Climate Change Department said Viet Nam was preparing to take part in the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Denmark in December.

Hoa said Viet Nam would continue to mobilise countries to support its initiative issued last year, calling for the 10 developed countries that produced the greatest volume of greenhouse gases to help 10 developing countries, including Viet Nam, that were the most vulnerable to climate change.

“Developed countries need to focus on projects supporting finance, technology transference and capacity development for developing countries to implement solutions for climate change impacts,” said Hoa.

Environment contest

Ha Noi resident Pham Hong Diep won top prize yesterday in the Environment and Development Contest 2008 for her initiative in building an environmentally friendly and harmonious rural welfare network.

The contest was jointly organised by MONRE, the Radio Voice of Viet Nam and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A total of 19 awards were given to organisations and individuals.

The 2009 contest “Adapting to Climate Change Impacts” was also launched yesterday. Entries, including reports, photos, paintings, features, songs, ideas and projects, should be sent to the radio at No 43 Ba Trieu street, Ha Noi before April 30, 2010.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News