Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (R) meets with IPCC Chairman Hoesung Lee in Hanoi on October 24 (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to work closely with and support Vietnam to effectively cope with climate change.
Greeting IPCC Chairman Hoesung Lee in Hanoi on October 24, he spoke highly of the cooperation between the IPCC, which is under the World Meteorological Organisation, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, especially amid heavy climate change impacts on the country at present.
Climate change is happening at a fast pace in Vietnam, he said, noting that his country has suffered from the most severe drought and floods in three decades this year, affecting its economic growth and the attainment of socio-economic targets.
He asked the IPCC to share experience in this field to help promote Vietnam’s capacity in climate change-related research. He suggested the panel help the country’s agencies, universities, institutes and hydro-meteorological centre take part in its research groups, especially those on climate change.
Vietnam wants the IPCC share climate change response solutions and provide technical and equipment support so that the Southeast Asian nation can assess more precisely climate change impacts, especially flooding, saltwater intrusion and geological changes.
It also hopes for the IPCC’s close coordination to realise the agreements reached at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP 21), which Vietnam also participated in.
At the meeting, Hoesung Lee informed his host about the success of a workshop between the IPCC and Vietnam’s Government agencies. He added representatives of the important IPCC bodies came to Vietnam this time, showing the panel’s resolve to cooperate with the nation in dealing with climate change.
The IPCC is fully aware of the climate change challenges facing Vietnam, and it is implementing climate change research activities around the globe.
He expressed his belief that Vietnamese scientists will have valuable studies which can help the IPCC fulfil its task, thereby contributing to the effective response to global climate change.-VNA
