Australia help protect vulnerable communities

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced on March 27 that Australia will support a partnership between Australian and Vietnamese climate scientists to better understand and cope with the impact of climate change.
Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr announced on March 27 that Australia will support a partnership between Australian and Vietnamese climate scientists to better understand and cope with the impact of climate change.

The announcement was made at the opening of the new Australian Consulate General in HCM City .

Minister Carr, who is currently on a three-day official visit to Vietnam, said Australia will contribute 2.03 million USD to the partnership build on the existing agreement between Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), and enhance the capacity of scientists from Vietnam’s Ministry for Natural Resources and Environment and the Hanoi University of Science.

“The fundamental goal of the aid programme is overcoming poverty and addressing climate change which is critical to protecting and improving the lives of those who depend on the natural environment for their income, food and water,” Carr said.

“ Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, particularly the Mekong Delta where rising sea levels, salt water intrusion and flooding are already impacting vulnerable coastal communities,” he added.

The partnership will assist Vietnam in analysing, understanding and undertaking future climate change projections, with Vietnamese PhD students helping to analyse data and climate modeling at CSIRO in Australia .

On March 28, the Australian Foreign Minister is scheduled to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, Minister of Planning and Investment Bui Quang Vinh, President Truong Tan Sang and Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.-VNA

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