Illustrative photo (Source: VNA) Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) - Seawater has been progressively encroaching on land in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue, causing severe landslides in coastal areas, according to a field survey by a delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) on December 1.
MARD Deputy Minister Hoang Van Thang, who led the delegation, said similar incidents have occurred in coastal areas across the country, particularly in the Mekong Delta and the central region, and attributed them to climate change.
The Ministry has devised scientific, environmentally friendly measures to address the situation.
According to Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Dinh Khac Dinh, the local coastal area has suffered from 10 areas of erosion with a combined length of 170km, mainly in districts of Phong Dien, Quang Dien, Phu Vang, and Phu Loc.
The local official called for financial and technical support from the Government to handle the severe erosion to ensure the safety of local residents.
Vietnam is one of the five countries most affected by climate change – especially rising sea levels. Each year, the country is hit by between five to seven storms and floods, which seriously impact 50 percent of land and 70 percent of the population.
Vietnam has actively built policies to cope with the issue, especially the Party Central Committee’s Resolution on responding to climate change and enhancing management of natural resources and environmental protection in 2013; the national strategy on climate change in 2011; the national strategy on green growth in 2012; and the national target programme on climate change resilience.
The government approved the Vietnam Integrated Coastal Management Strategy to 2020 and Vision to 2030.
The country is working to integrate disaster risk management and climate change response in plans for urban development and land use, boosting the capacity of the disaster forecast and alert system and strengthening measures to effectively cope with natural disasters and climate change.-VNA
