The competition was co-hosted by the VietnamDisaster Management Authority, the United Nations Development Programme and theprovincial People’s Committees of Quang Nam, Thua Thien-Hue and Ninh Thuanunder the framework of the Project “Improving Resilience of Vulnerable CoastalCommunities to Climate-Related Impact in Vietnam”.
Participants were offered a playground to bettercomprehend climate-change adaptation and mitigation, and to raiseawareness within their communities in creative ways.
More than 500 entries which conveyedoriginal ideas and in-depth content were sent from the three province’ssecondary school students to the organisers over three months.
Truong Nguyen Y Nhu and Tran Thanh Thuy, twoseventh-graders at Nguyen Binh Khiem School in Hoi An city of Quang Nam province,received the special prize for a five-minute documentary named "WakingSleeping Land after the Disaster”.
The film depicts the iconic Thu Bon river,the city’s popular tourism spot, before it was abandoned after the floodin 2000.
To revive the river’s beauty and help localpeople earn sustainable livelihoods, the two students made recommendationsto use its potential and land resources to develop tourismactivities such as tourist boat visits to Hoi An during the floodseason.
Tran Quang Hoai, general director of the VNDMAentries, praised the entries for their creative expressions thattouched upon contemporary issues and their calls for people to comeup with solutions to improve the environment.
Speaking to participants, Caitlin Wiesen, UNDPResident Representative in Vietnam, said she hoped theparticipants would further engagement in climate-change adaption andmitigation.
“Students are our future. Their innovative ideasand solutions can help us make the changes that are necessary to build aresilient and sustainable future for Vietnam. I hope you will share theinformation you have learned, as well as the ideas and solutions developedin this competition, when you return home,” she said.-VNS/VNA