PM Nguyen Tan Dung will lead the Vietnamese delegation to the UN Climate Change Conference in Denmark to show the country’s determination to work with the world to cope with climate change.

Doctor Nguyen Binh Thin, deputy head of the steering board for an action programme that deals with climate change issues in the agriculture and rural development sector, said that Vietnam has been directly affected by natural disasters, especially storms and floods, caused by climate change. In recent times, we have seen increasingly changeable weather.

Drought and floods caused widespread damages to the country in 2006, 2007 and 2009.

The central region witnessed unprecedented floods in 1999 and late October 2009, causing great losses. Can Tho, Ca Mau, Ho Chi Minh City have never suffered from floods in the past, but now they regularly hit. A cold spell in 2007-2008 also seriously affected agricultural production.

In June 2009, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment projected a possible scenario on climate change, particularly rising sea levels to develop an action plan for ministries and departments.

Associated professor Tran Thuc, director of the Vietnam Institute for Hydrometeorology and Environment said that according to this scenario, by the end of 21^st century, the temperature in Vietnam will have increased by 2.3⁰C compared to 1980-1999. The total amount of rain in every region, especially in the southern provinces, will rise.

Sea levels will rise by 30cm in 2050 and by 75cm in 2100. therefore, 10 percent of Ho Chi Minh City and 19 percent of the Mekong Delta region will be under water by 2100.

Vietnam has made a huge effort to minimise the impact of climate change. It was one of first countries to sign and approve the UN Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

In December 2008, the Vietnamese Government approved a national programme to cope with climate change and its steering board is headed by the Prime Minister.

The UN Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol must be maintained because they are legal documents that will enable the international community to cope with climate change in the near future.

Vietnam will call on developed countries and international organisations for assistance in procuring new technologies to help Vietnam to cope with climate change. As a country that produces one-fifth of the world’s rice, assisting Vietnam will help to ensure cooking security.

Vietnamese experts hope that the global community will find a common voice and developing countries will commit to cutting down emission to minimise the impact of climate change on Vietnam and the rest of the world.

VietNamNet/VOV