Lawmakers are aware of their responsibilities in coping with climate change, energy shortages and waste of natural resources, a senior legislator told reporters recently.

Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Science, Technology and Environment Nghiem Vu Khai pointed out that it was urgent for lawmakers to act strongly against these problems, a reference to the upcoming ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) meeting in Hanoi.

Asked why members of parliaments (MPs) are likely to address these global concerns at AIPA, Khai said a majority of Southeast Asian nations have suffered from climate change impacts and Vietnam was the worst hit.

Climate forecasters say that if seawater levels rise by one metre, Vietnam will lose 40,000 sq. km. of arable land, impacting on 20 million people due to reduced dwelling space and cultivated land, dry water sources and a decrease in agricultural production output.

Warmer weather will lead to serious natural disasters such as storms, floods and droughts, spreading epidemics and other risks.

“It’s obvious that climate change has increased poverty and threatens to eliminate achievements made by some countries in implementing the Millennium Development Goals,” said the legislator.

Climate change attracted increased attention from lawmakers at the recent AIPA meetings. Resolutions passed by AIPA committees all emphasised an urgent need to cope with climate change in an effective and timely way and highlighted concrete measures.

However, these documents have merely demonstrated the will and attitude of lawmakers towards the problem rather than determined their legal value or high feasibility, Khai acknowledged.

“From awareness to action is a long process. What AIPA has done so far has made positive and recognised contributions, making a foundation for the upcoming meeting of the regional legislative body to make a huge leap in its plan of action against climate change,” Khai said.

He highlighted Vietnam’s efforts in this field, culminating in the issuance of the national target programme to cope with climate change, together with the Prime Minister’s decision on December 2, 2008.

Vietnam is evaluating damages caused by climate change to different industries and residential quarters, and using these evaluations to work out programmes and plans of action to mitigate damages and secure sustainable development.

The national target programme has called for strengthening cooperation with regional countries and the international community in mitigating climate change and its negative impact.

AIPA-31 is expected to pass a framework programme of action against climate change, which underlines measures to mobilise human and financial resources from ASEAN members, ASEAN dialogue partners and regional and international organisations.

“The later the action comes the bigger damages are and the higher the cost is.”

“As the AIPA President and the Asian country suffering most from climate change, the Vietnam National Assembly is making the greatest possible efforts to work closely with other AIPA members, special observers and dialogue partners in making active, practical and feasible measures to address climate change,” said the senior lawmaker.

In response to a question about ASEAN lawmakers’ concerns and solutions to the burning energy security issue, the Vietnamese legislator said the issue has been mentioned in a number of AIPA resolutions in recent years.

“Among climate change, energy security, peace and regional security, energy security has been placed as top priority, not only by ASEAN members but also the world.”

“It is common in Southeast Asia that the use of energy remains wasteful and ineffective. Customers largely choose to use energy guzzlers while energy management technology is still backwards, causing high loss rates,” Khai said.

The Vietnamese National Assembly approved the law on thrift and effective use of energy in June after issuing a number of legal documents in electricity and natural resources, including rules to sustain energy security and thrifty and efficient use of energy.

In the next few years, Vietnam will have to import energy, arousing both lawmaker and public concerns.

The problem is quite avoidable as the country has great potential for energy savings with some industries capable of cutting down between 20 and 30 percent of their energy consumption. The cost for energy savings is equal to just one-third of production costs.

If energy use becomes more thrifty and the use of renewable energy is on a rise, Vietnam can reduce or put an end to the import of energy soon, the senior lawmaker pointed out.

He said as the host of AIPA-31, Vietnam should share experiences and cooperate with other AIPA members and dialogue partners in working out the most effective solutions to sustain energy security.

Khai pointed out some fundamental conditions to the concept of energy security, including economic restructuring towards a reduction in energy consumption and application of technology for economical and environmentally friendly energy use.

He explained that the favoured technology should reduce emissions of greenhouse gas and increase the proportion of renewable energy.

Energy security should be integrated into programmes against climate change or on water and mineral resource security and environmental protection, he said.

The legislator also called for raising public awareness and establishing good behaviour and a lifestyle of energy savings for consumers and the community./.