HCM City moves to deal with climate change

Experts pointed out that Ho Chi Minh City is among ten cities worldwide vulnerable to climate change, especially sea level rise.

After the Government adopted a decision on building a national action plan against climate change, the city has taken numerous measures to mitigate the diverse impacts of climate change on its socio-economic development.

This year, it has worked with experts from the Netherlands to revise a report on climate change resilience. However, there are difficulties in implementing the solutions.

According to Ha Minh Chau, deputy head of the municipal Office on Climate Change, finance is the first difficulty and it comes then the selection of suitable technologies.

Chau also stressed that how to accurately assess the nature of climate change that affects each service and each area is also very important to dealing with this weather phenomenon.

In recent years, climate change has occurred more and more severely in the city. It has experienced more stormy weather and higher tides, which greatly affected citizens’ daily activities and businesses’ operations.

According to experts, the city should push forward urban planning and plans on land use, and pay more attention to urban water resources management to adapt to climate change.

Nguyen Dinh Hung, Vice Director of the municipal Planning and Architecture Department noted the need to conduct a full and exact assessment of all actualities in order to have a basis, research and information on surrounding impacts.

He pointed out that previous planning schemes have yet taken into account such changeable conditions so the planning work now must follow a new approach, and thinking in planning must also be innovative.

In its long-term effort, the city has taken scientific solutions, including the application of scientific and technological advances in coping with the globe’s changeable weather.

HCM City is Vietnam’s largest economic hub. It is forecast to be heavily affected by climate change. Therefore, an active response is necessary for its sustainable socio-economic development.-VNA