NDO/VNA – The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) held a workshop in Hanoi on November 24 to launch a project on improving the resilience of vulnerable coastal communities towards climate change related impacts in Vietnam. The project worth more than US$29 million is funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) through the UNDP and will be implemented during 2017-2022. It aims at raising resilience against the bad consequences of climate change in Vietnam through building safe homes, increasing the coverage of mangrove forests, and providing trustworthy information concerning climate risks. Accordingly, the project will help build 4,000 houses designed to resist flood and regenerate 4,000 ha of mangrove forests, and update information about losses of disasters and climate. The project is expected to benefit 28 coastal localities, with the focus on northern Nam Dinh province, central Quang Binh, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang … [Read more...] about Project to improve resilience towards climate change in coastal areas Most Recent News
Climate change
Vietnamese youth leads environmental protection, climate change response
Over the past few years, youth unions at all levels have greatly contributed to the management of natural resources. Young people, with their youth, enthusiasm, and creativity, are the key force in environmental protection and response to climate change.They cleaned up litter and planted mangrove trees to protect land from rising sea levels. The youth union of each locality has developed specific action plans to get young people to participate in environmental protection programs.Tran Thi Hong Chuyen, Deputy Secretary of Phu Tho province’s youth union, said: “All youth unions in our province have pledged to manage the roads they build – clean up village lanes, collect rubbish, and plant trees. We are building basins to contain pesticides left in paddy fields.”Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region is hardest hit by climate change, and young people in Kien Giang province have responsibly developed programs to help local residents adapt, according to Le Trung Ho, … [Read more...] about Vietnamese youth leads environmental protection, climate change response
Kuwait Fund helps Thai Binh with climate change resilience
Photo: VGP/Huy Thang Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha and Deputy Director-General of Kuwait Fund Hesham Al-Waqayan signed the agreement. The coastal infrastructure development project is meaningful to the province to cope with climate change and enhance production, said Mr. Ha, adding that the province is seriously affected from climate change. For his side, Mr. Hesham Al-Waqayan expected that the project will make contribution to improving the quality of local people’s lives in the area, confirming that the fund is willing to support development projects in Viet Nam.Kuwait Fund and Viet Nam are on discussion to sign other projects in the future, including ones in Xi Man, the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang. Kuwait Fund has financed US$169 million for 14 projects in Viet Nam, focusing on rural infrastructure such as small transport and irrigation projects in poor provinces. … [Read more...] about Kuwait Fund helps Thai Binh with climate change resilience
Climate change is yet another poverty trap
VietNamNet Bridge – Ngo Truong Thi, Director General-Chief of the National Office for Poverty Reduction under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, speaks to Dai Doan Ket (Great Unity) newspaper on the importance of sustainable poverty alleviation. How do climate change and natural disasters impact the national programme of poverty alleviation?Natural disasters are a permanent threat to our country. Two thirds of the country’s topography is hills and mountains with a long coast. In addition, Vietnam has a hot and humid climate, greatly influenced by seasonal monsoons. Generally speaking all these factors aid the country’s economic development. However, they also present many challenges to national development including natural disasters, floods, flash floods, storms, droughts and saline intrusion.On average, one out of every three people who escape poverty falls back into the poverty trap. Severe natural disasters are part of why this happens. It … [Read more...] about Climate change is yet another poverty trap
Rice farm project aims to reduce climate change
Rice farm project aims to reduce climate changeBy Le Hoang Vu - The Saigon Times DailyIt is the first time the model has been applied in the Mekong Delta, Doan Ngoc Pha, deputy director of the Agriculture and Rural Development Department of An Giang, said.To reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 100 hectares of rice in Binh Hoa Ward of Chau Thanh District, scientists will regulate fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide levels. The new farming technique should also reduce input costs and increase harvests.The model will be expanded to 500 hectares in 2015 and to the whole delta if it’s successful. … [Read more...] about Rice farm project aims to reduce climate change
One Planet Summit highlights 3 goals in climate change fight
The goals were highlighted in the speeches of the 3 co-chairmen, Emmanuel Macron, President of France, Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. Tuesday’s summit, which comes exactly two years after the signing of the historic Paris Agreement, reaffirmed the world’s commitment to fight climate change. … [Read more...] about One Planet Summit highlights 3 goals in climate change fight
One Planet Summit: greater efforts needed to mitigate climate change
The One Planet Summit, sponsored by France, the UN, and the World Bank, will draw 4000 delegates and 800 organizations to seek funding for climate projects. The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the world will spend 3.5 trillion USD a year to deal with global warming over the next 30 years. Mobilizing financial resources for climate projects is key to this effort. Postponement of action to mitigate climate change will not only lead to greater costs to address the effects, but will make the world poorer, less stable, less just, and less sustainable.Researchers for the Heinrich Boll Fund say it will cost the world at least 300 billion USD annually until 2030 to deal with the effects of climate change. Under the Paris agreement on climate change signed in 2015, countries pledged to collectively donate 100 billion USD a year until 2020 to help poorer countries pursue clean development and adapt to climate change. The World Bank has pledged to increase budgets for climate … [Read more...] about One Planet Summit: greater efforts needed to mitigate climate change
AFD finances climate change adaptation
AFD finances climate change adaptationTu Hoang HANOI -The French Development Agency (AFD) will provide a concessional loan of 52.35 million euros and a grant of one million euros for Can Tho City and Ninh Binh and Ha Tinh provinces to adapt to climate change and solve related issues. French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noël Poirier, Deputy Minister of Finance Tran Xuan Ha, and CEO of AFD Remy Rioux have signed two agreements on the loan and grant, the French embassy in Hanoi announced. The embassy said the financing agreements will support adaptation to climate change, as well as address rainfall regime modifications, the increase of severity and frequency of extreme weather events and rising sea levels in the northern province of Ninh Binh, the central coastal province of Ha Tinh and in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho. In Ninh Binh, the project will be carried out in six districts with a total area of 55,000 hectares with 70% of it under paddy cultivation. The project will … [Read more...] about AFD finances climate change adaptation
Mekong Delta urged to confront climate change
Mekong Delta urged to confront climate changeBy Chinh Phuc - The Saigon Times DailyCAN THO – Local and foreign experts at a two-day conference ending last Friday in Can Tho City called on localities in the Mekong Delta to heighten preparedness to cope with consequences of climate change as the region is forecast to be hit the hardest by natural disasters in the future.Experts attending the forum suggested many solutions to help the delta tackle negative impacts of the disasters. The event is a significant step towards the United Nations Climate Change Conference that will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, said Danish Ambassador Peter Lysholt Hansen.The Australian government pledged to cooperate with Vietnam to cope with developments of climate change and raise public’s knowledge of the matter. The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research will fund US$3.5 million for a research on a new rice variety that can grow in the changing climate, said Australian … [Read more...] about Mekong Delta urged to confront climate change
World Bank to continue helping Vietnam address rapid urbanization, climate change
During her first visit to Vietnam on Saturday, Ms. Tuck said “Vietnam’s transformation from one of the poorest country to a middle-income country in just three decades is an inspiration to many countries around the world. The World Bank looks forward to continue its close partnership with Vietnam to ensure this growth is inclusive, sustainable and climate-resilient.” In Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Tuck witnessed the development impacts brought about by World Bank-funded projects. She then traversed the Mekong Delta through Ben Tre province to see first-hand the impacts of climate change on the lives, livelihoods and assets of communities. During her meeting with leaders from Can Tho City, Ms. Tuck discussed the role of cities in the transformation of the Mekong Delta, a region with high population density, and the importance of strengthening urban resilience. … [Read more...] about World Bank to continue helping Vietnam address rapid urbanization, climate change