Regional cooperation constitutes an effective solution to coping with climate change and rising sea levels in Vietnam, a symposium in Hanoi heard on April 22.

Vietnam is recognised as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to environmental changes, and it was revealed at the conference that one-third of coastal and low-lying areas, where the majority of the country’s population live and cultivate land, will be directly affected by the impacts of climate change. As such, regional cooperation is essential.

Vietnam should gear up to introduce a wide range of action plans for climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emissions reduction, experts said.

Deputy Director of the Human Geography Institute under the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, Tran Ngoc Ngoan, said there is a lack of in-depth research works on regional cooperation, limiting the planning and enforcement of suitable cooperative policies.

Participants agreed that localities should share responsibilities in distributing and managing natural resources such as forests and water and preserving biodiversity. They added that they should also boost their partnerships in finance and human resources.

The determination of local authorities, the improvement of technical infrastructure and the participation of businesses and residents are also essential in mitigating the impacts by climate change, said Cao Ngoc Lan from the Development Strategy Institute.-VNA