Mekong Delta must steer clear of subjectivity in climate change response

Localities and ministries must steer clear of subjectivity and strive to find new models for climate change adaption, Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue told a meeting on September 26.

At the event in the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau, he said climate change has posed challenges affecting development, the environment and local livelihoods.

He asked ministries and central agencies to work closely with the Steering Committee for the Southwestern Region and the People’s Committees of the Mekong Delta localities to devise climate change adaptation plans.

Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue speaking at the meeting

Climate change response must be included in local development plans, he noted, suggesting Mekong Delta authorities re-organise operations of irrigation networks and anti-saltwater culverts while reinforcing and building new sea dykes. They should also raise public awareness of climate change.

The Mekong Delta comprises 12 provinces and one centrally-run city, covering about 40,000 sq.km of land or 12.3 percent of Vietnam’s total area. It is home to 18 million people, accounting for 20 percent of the country’s population.

The region has low and flat terrain which is about 0.7 – 1.2 metres above the sea level, leaving it vulnerable to the impacts of climate change such as tidal surges and saltwater intrusion, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

About 50 percent of the Mekong Delta is flooded for three-four months every year while 40 percent of its area is affected by saline intrusion. However, the effects of climate change have worsened, with the region suffering from serious floods and saltwater intrusion.

At the meeting, the ministry called for synchronous solutions to be taken to cope with climate change.

Also on September 26, Deputy PM Hue attended a ceremony starting the construction of a wind power plant in Dat Mui commune of Ngoc Hien district in Ca Mau.

The plant, located at Khai Long tourism site, will cover 2,185ha and feature 50 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 100 MW. It is expected to generate 280 million KWh of electricity when operational.