Dutch experts help Mekong Delta be resilient to climate change
Experienced Dutch specialists are joining their Vietnamese peers at a two-day conference in Can Tho city to outline solutions and build plans to adapt the Mekong Delta to climate change.
A rice field affected by saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA)
Can Tho (VNA)💙 – Experienced Dutch specialists are joining their Vietnamese peers at a two-day conference in Can Tho city to outline solutions and build plans to adapt the Mekong Delta to climate change.
At the function that began on February 23, they are set to give an insight into the Mekong Delta Plan (MDP) and the Netherlands’s experience, discuss ways to apply those experience in the Mekong Delta and make recommendations on dealing with related issues.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chu Pham Ngoc Hien said the Mekong Delta is currently feeling the force of climate change, along with the impact of dam building and unsustainable water use in the upper Mekong River.
He cited saltwater intrusion as an example. Saltwater has affected almost 700,000 ha of the Delta’s 1.7 million ha of farmland.
If the sea level rises by one metre and Vietnam lacks proper responsive solutions, 40 percent of the Mekong Delta’s area will be flooded by the end of this century, directly affecting nearly 55 percent of the region’s population, he noted.
The Mekong Delta Plan (MDP) was designed within the strategic partnership on climate change response and water management between the Vietnamese and Dutch Governments. It focuses on climate change adaptation, enhancement of the Mekong Delta’s resilience and promotion of local residents’ livelihoods.
Hien said the Netherlands is experienced in coping with climate change, and learning from such expertise is important to making development plans for the Mekong Delta.
Dutch Ambassador to Vietnam Catharina Nienke Trooster underlined the close cooperation between Vietnam and her country in climate change response and water management. Deltas with great biodiversity have significant influence on agricultural production countries like Vietnam. The Netherlands’s experience in preventing land from sinking into the sea is applicable to the Southeast Asian nation, she added.-VNA
Measures to adapt the Mekong Delta’s agricultural activities to the impacts of climate change, particularly drought and saltwater intrusion, lay at the heart of a forum on February 19.
The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is working to cope with drought and saltwater intrusion, with a focus on developing and upgrading irrigation works to ensure 2016 crops grow efficiently.
The government of the Netherlands will support Vietnam’s strategy on sustainable socio-economic development in the Mekong Delta region, which is facing the critical impact of climate change.
Saltwater is likely to intrude as far as 70km in Tien and Hau River, the two main tributaries of Mekong River in the Mekong Delta, said the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
The U Minh Thuong National Park in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang was recognised as Vietnam’s 8 th Ramsar site at a ceremony held on February 22.
Floodwater levels in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta are high and will continue to rise this month, especially in upstream areas, according to the hydraulic works management and construction department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.
Conservation efforts to restore habitat and boost the population of red-crowned cranes in Tram Chim National Park are finally showing progress, with the cranes and many other rare wild birds coming back to the park.
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Regional solidarity and cooperation are the key factor for the effective implementation of wildlife protection regulations. Only through sustainable cooperation, innovative approaches, and collective action can biodiversity be safeguarded for the present and future generations, an Vietnamese official has said.
Hanoi has approved a comprehensive plan to restore the environmental quality and develop four major urban rivers – the To Lich, Kim Nguu, Lu, and Set reverine environments.
The Javan pangolin is listed in Vietnam’s Red Book as critically endangered and is protected under Group IB – a category reserved for forest species facing an extremely high risk of extinction and requiring strict conservation measures.
As a key member of the core group of 18 countries, initiated by Vanuatu, Vietnam engaged in advocating for the UN General Assembly’s Resolution N.77/276, requesting for the ICJ’s advisory opinion. Following the resolution's adoption, Vietnam fully participated in all procedural steps for the first time, from submitting written proposals to presenting directly at the court’s hearings.
The wild elephant population in Da Nang includes a full developed herb of mature males, females, and calves. To date, the herd has grown to nine individuals.
Conservation efforts here have become a model, helping to save millions of turtle hatchlings and promoting Con Dao as a member of the Indian Ocean-Southeast Asia Turtle Site Network.
As part of its drive to fulfil its net zero emissions commitment by 2050, Vietnam is fast-tracking the development of a legal corridor to launch a pilot carbon market by the end of 2025, according to the Department of Climate Change.
Under the plan, from 2025 to 2026, the city will complete mechanisms and policies to support businesses in switching to green vehicles, expand the electric and green-energy bus network, and build charging stations. The targeted proportion of green buses is set at 10% in 2025 and 20–23% in 2026.
Storm Comay, the fourth in the East Sea this year, was at around 16.7 degrees North and 118.3 degrees East, in the east of the East Sea's northern waters as of 4am on July 24.
The disaster risk warning level for flash floods, landslides, and ground subsidence due to heavy rains and flows is rated at level 1, except in Nghe An, where it is raised to level 2.
A rice field affected by saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta (Photo: VNA)
