Vietnam should play a more active role in international efforts torespond to climate change, instead of just calling for assistance frominternational organisations, said Minister of Natural Resources andEnvironment Nguyen Minh Quang.

In an interviewgranted to the Vietnam News Agency on prioritised response programmes in2015, the minister said responding to climate change is both an urgentand long-term task for the country, citing forecasts that Vietnam is oneof the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change by the end ofthis century.

According to the minister, the MekongDelta—the nation’s largest rice granary— is among the three deltashardest hit by the phenomenon, while climate change is also directlyaffecting 28 coastal localities and the Red River Delta.

The National Committee on Climate Change Response, headed by PrimeMinister Nguyen Tan Dung, and relevant agencies have built strategies,plans of actions and national target programmes to realise the PartyCentral Committee’s Resolution 24-NQ/TW on responding to climate changeand strengthening natural resource management and environmentalprotection, Quang said, adding that the National Assembly also issued aresolution on climate change adaptation in the Mekong Delta.

The minister highlighted the need to adjust climate change responsescenarios for vulnerable localities until 2100, given the unpredictableclimate developments, citing Ben Tre province where the sea level isrising at higher-than-predicted rates as an example.

He shared that through support from international organisations,Vietnam has carried out several effective adaptation models in Quang Namand Ben Tre provinces, which will now be expanded to other localities.

Priority will be given to projects and programmespreventing erosion by planting protective forests, upgrading sea dykesystems, and addressing flooding in Hanoi, HCM City, Ben Tre and Ca Mau.

Vietnam will also actively participate ininternational conferences on climate change, including the 21 st UnitedNations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) to be held in Paris laterthis year, he said.

Minister Quang emphasised theessential role of the community in the nation’s policies on climatechange response, stressing the need to raise public awareness of climatechange responses, heighten the sense of social responsibility, andincite the involvement of every person and organisation in theinitiatives.

Greater attention is needed in enhancing disasterforecast and warning capacity to mitigate disaster impacts, he said,adding that the State should also allocate more budget funds for issuesrelated to climate change.-VNA