In the context of the IPU Symposium for the Asia-Pacific region on “Climate change response - The action of lawmakers to implement sustainable development goals" taken place in the afternoon of May 11, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha delivered an important speech at Plenary Session 2 entitled "Responding to Climate Change".
Minister Tran Hong Ha spoke at the meeting
The afternoon session of May 11 introduced an overview and update on global climate change and the impact of climate change on sustainable development in the region.The short-term and long-term challenges open opportunities to transition to a more sustainable development model. Therepresentatives exchanged views on how the countries of the Asia-Pacific region address the challenges, exploit these opportunities and the actions of the Parliament.
* Challenges and opportunities from climate change
The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha emphasized that climate change is the most serious challenge to sustainable development for all countries in the world, from developed countries to poor onesbut also it is an opportunity for affected nations to change.
The challenges represent in the changing climate, abnormal phenomenawith its intensity exceeding the previous record level such as rising temperatures and sea level increase of risk of flooding, tides, saltwater intrusion, affecting biodiversity, reducing the ability to provide important natural ecosystem services
Decreased rainfall during the dry season causes drought and increasedone in the rainy season causes floods in many places. The frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomenon increases the risk of food shortage, resource conflict, increasing environmental pollution and possible social instability.
The Asia-Pacific is considered one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change.
"Without effective response to climate change, the socio-economic development will be suffered, and the sustainable development will meet many difficulties or even impossible," said Minister Tran. Hong Ha said.
However, He pointed out three opportunities due to climate change. The opportunities to strengthen solidarity, mutual financial support, capacity building and technology transfer; Opportunities for dramatic change in perception, lifestyle, production, business, consumption; Opportunity for smart, climatic friendly investment.
* Efforts of Vietnam
For Vietnam, Minister Tran Hong Ha said: Vietnam is considered one of the countries heavily affected by climate change due to its long coastline. If the sea level rises by 1 meter, 40% of the Mekong River Delta area, 10% of the Red River Delta area will be flooded, affecting directly to 20-30 million people.
Recognizing the challenges and opportunities caused by climate change, the Party, the National Assembly and the Government of Vietnam have pioneered in responding to climate change recently, contributing to the global effortsto cope with climate, showing in the followings:
Firstly, early establishment, issuance and implementation of policies, strategies, plans, organizing systems to cope with climate change It is the first country to develop the implementation plan for the Paris agreement;
Secondly, promoting community creativity and adaptive societies, mitigating climate change: living wisely with floods, saltwater and climate change; transforming the challenges of climate change into development opportunities;
Thirdly, strengthening climate change response: national science and technology programs to respond to climate change, new rural development programs, disaster preparedness, environmental protection, forecasting and developing climate change scenarios, assessing vulnerability; renewable energy technologies, climate change adaptation models (village, agriculture, urban ...); development of climate change researching organizations such as climate change institutes/centers;
Fourthly, to implement strongly and effectively international cooperation in responding to climate change, disaster prevention.
Overview of the meeting
* Together responding to no-borderchallenge
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Hong Ha highly recommends that the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) continues to make more important contributions to support countries, especially developing one like Vietnam indeveloping and completing its policysystem and legal measures to cope with climate change.
He also stressed that it is necessary to strengthen cooperation with other countries to respond to the challenge of climate change, a borderless challenge, regardless of the rich or the poor.
Vietnam should continue to promote the cooperation among nations and regions, through IPU, to further perfect and fully implement global regulations on climate change, including the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, etc., inan accordance with specific conditions of each country or region based on financial support, capacity building and technology transfer from developed countries to developing and vulnerable countries.
At the same time, Vietnam must review, supplement and improve its institution and legal policies on responding to climate change,ensure a set of harmonized policies and legal system to fully implement theNationally Determined Contribution (NDC), meetingthe transparence in responding to climate change as one of requirements of the Paris Agreement.
The policy of Vietnam is to encourage all economic sectors, each individual and organization of each country paying theireffortsin implementing solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, raise their contribution according to the NDC. Then the global emission can be reduced and the final target of the convention can be achieved.
Vietnam should also allocate its national resources and strengthen monitoring the obligations and responsibilities of governments, businesses, organizations and citizens in implementation of climate change adaptation policies and legislation, particularly in climate change convention, the Paris Agreement and other relevant international treaties on climate change.
Finally, Vietnam should continue to promote the involvement of private sector, in order to increase investment in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate change, gradually transform the economy mainly depending on fuel to renewable energy as well asto improve efficient energy use.
Viet Duc - Nguyen Tu