The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on November 23 held a forum to call on international support to cope with climate change in the agricultural sector.

The agricultural sector has drawn up a roadmap to deal with climate change and it is estimated that the total cost for the relevant programmes and projects will reach nearly US$40 billion.

Nguyen Vu Hoan, Head of MARD’s International Relations Department, said the Ministry is calling on international organisations to invest in ensuring cooking security, developing irrigation projects to adapt to climate change, reducing deforestation and assisting people who need to be relocated due to rising sea levels.

MARD plans to meet 50 percent of the total cost by using funding provided by the international community, equivalent to US$20 billion.

The World Bank has approved a US$215 million project to support management bodies and improve irrigation systems in the Mekong Delta.

Japan will help Vietnam deal with rising sea levels and will focus on 23 provinces and cities, according to the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

BT