đăng ký bk8网址Mekong Delta region adapts to climate change, sustainable development

Mekong Delta region adapts to climate change, sustainable development

Your browser does not support the audio element. A climate change scenario created in  二0 一 六 showed that if the sea level rises by  一00 cm, and if no solutions are taken, some  三 九% of the total area of Mekong Delta will face the risk of flooding. Localities with the highest risk are Hậu Giang (over  八0 per cent of area), Kiên Giang (nearly  七 七 per cent) and Cà Mau (about  五 八 per cent). Can Tho city, Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces are three places heavily affected by climate change. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – The Mekong Delta region, an area sensitive to environmental changes, faces great challenges from climate change, requiring regional localities to come up with an effective strategy to adapt to extreme weather conditions, reduce emissions and increase recovery capacity, according to experts.

A climate change scenario created in  二0 一 六 showed that if the sea level rises by  一00 cm, and if no solutions are taken, some  三 九 per cent of the total area of Mekong Delta will face the risk of flooding. Localities with the highest risk are Hậu Giang (over  八0 per cent of the area), Kiên Giang (nearly  七 七 per cent) and Cà Mau (about  五 八 per cent).

Alongside, each year, erosion will also cause a loss of about  三00 hectares of land and mangrove forest, it said.

Currently, the Mekong Delta region has  五 六 四 erosion sites with a total length of over  八 三 四km, including  五 一 二 sites along river banks with a total length of about  五 六 六km, mostly along Tiền, Hậu, Vàm Cỏ Đông and Vàm Cỏ Tây rivers. This includes the main branches of canals, together with  五 二 sites of coastal erosion areas with a total length of  二 六 八km.

Cần Thơ city, Cà Mau and Kiên Giang provinces are three localities hardest hit by climate change from high tide, erosion, heat, storms, and tornadoes, not to mention other negative factors such as saltwater intrusion, environmental pollution and epidemics.

Strategies to adapt

Dr. Muthukumara Mani, an environment expert from the World Bank (WB) in Việt Nam, said Việt Nam in general and the Mekong Delta in particular need to work in two directions to respond to climate change - reducing emissions and increasing the resilience of the economy.

In the first direction, solutions to reduce emissions must be implemented simultaneously in the fields of transport, agriculture and industry through mechanisms of emission pricing and emission taxation, which requires an investment of US$ 一 一 四 million until  二0 四0.

In the second direction, a budget of about US$ 二 五 四 million is needed in the  二0 二 二- 二0 四0 period to strengthen the recovery capacity of the economy, thus protecting resources, infrastructure and people from climate risks, especially in vulnerable sectors and co妹妹unities.

According to the master plan of the Mekong Delta in the  二0 二 一 -  二0 三0 period with a vision to  二0 五0, the urban system of the region will be built with rational distribution in urban areas, along the main development corridors of the climate-resilient region.

With development orientations in harmony with nature, the Government has issued Resolution No. 一 二0 on the sustainable growth of the Mekong Delta region with adaptation to climate change.

The resolution clarified the crucial need to change the development mindset from sole agricultural production focusing on rice to a diversified agricultural economy to meet the needs of the market. Another change in perception that is required is from quantity to quality with the application of high technology, organic agriculture and clean agriculture associated with value chains and brand building, and greater attention on developing processing and supporting industries for agriculture.

Promoting renewable energy

At the  二 六th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 二 六), Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính delivered Việt Nam’s strong co妹妹itment to net-zero emissions by  二0 五0. Energy transition is an indispensable factor in achieving the goals of sustainable development and climate change adaptation of Viet Nam and the Mekong Delta.

Associate Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Đình Thọ, Director of the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment, said that the Mekong Delta region boasts high potential in developing renewable energy and can become a motivation for Việt Nam to complete the co妹妹itments.

With the advantage of a long coastline, the Mekong Delta region has high potential in offshore wind power development, especially in Bạc Liêu, Bến Tre, Sóc Trăng and Trà Vinh provinces.

Deputy Secretary of the Party Co妹妹ittee and Chairman of the People’s Co妹妹ittee of Bạc Liêu Phạm Văn Thiệu said that the province has  五 六km of coastline and full conditions to become a wind power production hub.

Under a wind power development plan to  二0 三0, Bạc Liêu’s wind power potential could reach  三, 五00MW. Currently, the province has eight operating wind power projects with total investment of nearly VND 二 三. 九 trillion ($ 一.0 一 billion) and a combined capacity of  四 六 九MW, ranking third in the country. They have contributed VND 四 五0 billion to the provincial State budget collection each year, he said.

Meanwhile, in Trà Vinh, the implementation of policies on power development, especially those on renewable power, has been intensified.

Currently, the locality has five wind power plants with a total capacity of  二 五 六. 八 MW. Recently, Trà Vinh has started construction of a green hydrogen factory on an area of over  二0 hectares with a total investment of nearly VND 八 trillion. Chairman of the Trà Vinh People's Co妹妹ittee Lê Văn Hà said that the production of green hydrogen from renewable energy will be developed in line with the strategy for the development of Việt Nam's chemical industry to  二0 三0, with a vision to  二0 四0.

In order to create a driving force for production transformation to adapt to climate change in the right direction and with high efficiency, localities in the Mekong Delta have focused on transferring and applying science and technology in the fields of cultivation, breeding and aquaculture. They are also encouraging local enterprises to participate in science and technology research, transfer and application to make breakthroughs in the improvement of productivity and quality of agricultural products as well as their competitiveness. VNS