Hanoi (VNA) – Germany has pledged to work with Vietnam to boost cooperation in water and environment-related studies in the face of global climate change, as well as in addressing the challenges of the 21 st century.
The commitment was made by Ulrich Katenkamp, head of the Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Department under the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, at a workshop in Hanoi, on April 5, on the need for research into water, natural resources and sustainable development in Vietnam.
Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh said that the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in water and environment-related scientific research in October 2005, opening up a new chapter for the two ministries to strengthen coordination in water resource management, environmental protection and sustainable development.
According to Khanh, within the framework of that MoU, many projects have been carried out and produced positive results, which has contributed to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.
He noted that Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Long-lasting drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta is seriously affecting the lives of locals.
Therefore, the workshop was a chance for managers, scientists and businesses from Vietnam and Germany to exchange notes on the research cooperation programme since 2005, for improving the implementation of future programmes, which will thus help with coping with priority issues like drought and saltwater intrusion.-VNA
