Vietnam sought international experience in setting up a national forum for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation at a consultative meeting in Hanoi on June 17 to meet a roadmap deadline in August.

Dao Xuan Hoc, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said through this meeting Vietnam expected to draw experience from other countries in establishing such a climate forum to work out effective policies, programmes and action plans.

He highlighted Vietnam ’s great efforts in this field over the past years such as issuing a number of legal documents on disaster control, launching relevant projects and applying advanced technology transferred by other countries.

“Though if has yet to establish a national forum under the definition of the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), Vietnam has effectively conducted a number of relevant works in association with foreign partners,” Hoc added.

Vietnam is scheduled to launch a referendum on the future forumamong relevant ministries and agencies in July and submit the final draft to the Government in August, according to a roadmap prepared by the Disaster Management Centre.

The Coordinator of the UNISRD Asian-Pacific Region, Jerry Velasquez, recognised great efforts made by Vietnam in reducing disaster risks and adapting to climate change in coordination with foreign partners.

He called on relevant parties and national coordinating agencies to focus on the five-priority Hyogo framework for action for the 2005-15 period, placing disaster risk reduction a national priority.

The Head of the Indonesian National Forum Executive Board, Krishna Pribadi, said social organisations played a very important role in assisting forum activities.

It was necessary to conduct dialogues with the business circle and establish partnership with donors from as many as possible other countries, the Indonesian official said.

He also advised Vietnam that it is better to integrate disaster risk reduction into different subjects at school than make it an individual subject./.