Illustrative image (Source: VNA)Natural disasters could consume between 3 and 5 percent of Vietnam’s gross domestic product by 2030, according to the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) report from the United Nations.
The information was released by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thang at a ceremony marking the International Day for Disaster Reduction 2015 and a workshop on disaster prevention held by the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention (SCNDP) in collaboration with the United Nations in Vietnam on October 13 in Hanoi.
Since the year beginning, Vietnam’s weather has been abnormal with extremities such as off-season rains and floods in the central region, historic rains in the northeast province of Quang Ninh and extremely cold weather in Sapa town in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai, he said.
These abnormal weather phenomena caused great damage tolls in both humans and assets for communities, especially vulnerable ones in mountainous provinces, as well as had negative impacts on the economy and national food security, he noted.
Paratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, said disasters in Vietnam are happening more frequently and more severely due to climate change.
She recommended Vietnam raise national resilience against disasters and underlined the importance of reforming policies and mechanisms to suit the growing and fickle extremities of the global climate. She also suggested enhancing the role of the private sector in the fight against climate change.
Thang highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns and traditional experience in responding to disasters.
On the occasion, the SCNDP praised five exemplary communes and three outstanding individuals for their efforts in knowledge on preventing disasters and building safe commune and village communities.-VNA
