Conference on Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development of the Mekong Delta in Can Tho city on September 26 (Source: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) – Deputy Prime MinisterVuong Dinh Hue has called for stronger participation of the business circle andpeople in sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong Delta.
In his opening remarks at the Conference on Sustainable and Climate-ResilientDevelopment of the Mekong Delta in Can Tho city on September 26, the Deputy PM appealedto international donors and organisations to continue providing appropriatetechnical and financial support for the region.
He also underlined the need to further carry forwardsthe role played by the Mekong River Commission and use Mekong River water resourcessustainably, for regional prosperity.
Deputy PM Hue urged the delegates to the conference to fully analyse challengesposed by climate change, the development process of the Mekong Delta and theuse of water resources from upstream Mekong River while identifying short andlong-term opportunities and forecasting major impacts on regional development.
The move aims to shape a development model as well as major transitionalorientations for the Mekong Delta, he stressed.
Besides, attention should be paid to breakthrough reform policies andmechanisms to spur the transform and sustainable development of the delta,focusing on mechanisms on land, tax, market construction, trade promotion,science-technology and human resources development, Hue said.
He asked the delegates to define priority projects, tasks and programmes withthe participation of the Government, localities, domestic and foreignorganisations, especially residents and enterprises in the Mekong Delta andadjacent localities, particularly Ho Chi Minh City.
The Deputy PM stressed that encompassing one city and 12 provinces with a totalarea of 3.94 million ha and a population of 17.5 million, the Mekong Deltaplays an important role in the national economy.
This is one of the deltas that have the largest agricultural output inSoutheast Asia and Vietnam, contributing 54 percent of rice output, 70 percentof aquatic production and 36.5 percent of fruit amount to the country. Up to 90percent of rice exports and 65 percent of seafood shipments of Vietnam comefrom the delta.
However, the Mekong Delta is one of the four deltas hardest hit by climatechange and sea level rise.
“The Mekong Delta has faced many severe impacts ofclimate change, sea level rise and extreme weather patterns,” Deputy PM Huesaid, pointing out limitations in the use of Mekong water resources, theregional development model and State management in the region.
Such impacts have created big challenges and threats to the development of theMekong Delta, livelihoods and daily lives of people in the delta in particularand Vietnam in general, thus affecting the development of the region and theworld at large, especially food security, he said.
Given this, the Government and the Prime Minister decided to hold theconference, aiming to set forth a vision for sustainable and prosperousdevelopment of the Mekong Delta in close connection with the country’s keyeconomic regions and the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
During the first working day, the delegates focused their discussions onchallenges, opportunities and solutions to transform the development model ofthe Mekong Delta; integrated planning, infrastructure development and regionalcoordination mechanism; sustainableagricultural development, irrigation infrastructure and natural disaster response;and human resources mobilisation and coordination.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to chair the September 27 workingsession.
Outcomes of the conference will serve as a foundation for the Government toissue a resolution on sustainable and climate-resilient development in theMekong Delta.-VNA
In his opening remarks at the Conference on Sustainable and Climate-ResilientDevelopment of the Mekong Delta in Can Tho city on September 26, the Deputy PM appealedto international donors and organisations to continue providing appropriatetechnical and financial support for the region.
He also underlined the need to further carry forwardsthe role played by the Mekong River Commission and use Mekong River water resourcessustainably, for regional prosperity.
Deputy PM Hue urged the delegates to the conference to fully analyse challengesposed by climate change, the development process of the Mekong Delta and theuse of water resources from upstream Mekong River while identifying short andlong-term opportunities and forecasting major impacts on regional development.
The move aims to shape a development model as well as major transitionalorientations for the Mekong Delta, he stressed.
Besides, attention should be paid to breakthrough reform policies andmechanisms to spur the transform and sustainable development of the delta,focusing on mechanisms on land, tax, market construction, trade promotion,science-technology and human resources development, Hue said.
He asked the delegates to define priority projects, tasks and programmes withthe participation of the Government, localities, domestic and foreignorganisations, especially residents and enterprises in the Mekong Delta andadjacent localities, particularly Ho Chi Minh City.
The Deputy PM stressed that encompassing one city and 12 provinces with a totalarea of 3.94 million ha and a population of 17.5 million, the Mekong Deltaplays an important role in the national economy.
This is one of the deltas that have the largest agricultural output inSoutheast Asia and Vietnam, contributing 54 percent of rice output, 70 percentof aquatic production and 36.5 percent of fruit amount to the country. Up to 90percent of rice exports and 65 percent of seafood shipments of Vietnam comefrom the delta.
However, the Mekong Delta is one of the four deltas hardest hit by climatechange and sea level rise.
“The Mekong Delta has faced many severe impacts ofclimate change, sea level rise and extreme weather patterns,” Deputy PM Huesaid, pointing out limitations in the use of Mekong water resources, theregional development model and State management in the region.
Such impacts have created big challenges and threats to the development of theMekong Delta, livelihoods and daily lives of people in the delta in particularand Vietnam in general, thus affecting the development of the region and theworld at large, especially food security, he said.
Given this, the Government and the Prime Minister decided to hold theconference, aiming to set forth a vision for sustainable and prosperousdevelopment of the Mekong Delta in close connection with the country’s keyeconomic regions and the Greater Mekong Sub-region.
During the first working day, the delegates focused their discussions onchallenges, opportunities and solutions to transform the development model ofthe Mekong Delta; integrated planning, infrastructure development and regionalcoordination mechanism; sustainableagricultural development, irrigation infrastructure and natural disaster response;and human resources mobilisation and coordination.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is expected to chair the September 27 workingsession.
Outcomes of the conference will serve as a foundation for the Government toissue a resolution on sustainable and climate-resilient development in theMekong Delta.-VNA
VNA
