US Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry (left) visits a cocoa production and processing facility in Châu Thành District, Bến Tre Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Phúc Hậu

BẾN TRE — A delegation led by US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry paid a working visit to Bến Tre on climate change situation in the Mekong Delta province on Saturday.

At the working session with the US official, Lê Đức Thọ, Secretary of Bến Tre Province Party Committee, said the province was heavily affected by climate change, including sea level rise.

He said that saline intrusion, which tends to increase, was leaving a big impact on local residents’ lives and production.

Thọ said the province wanted the US to help Việt Nam, including Bến Tre Province, build works to prevent and mitigate the effects of climate change.

As Bến Tre has enormous potential for developing renewable energy, he proposed to the US side to cooperate to promote the exploitation of the energy potential of the province in the coming time and to help it improve the quality of human resources in this field at the same time.

For his part, Kerry said Việt Nam, including Bến Tre Province, had the advantage to develop wind and solar energy, adding that this would be an advantage for both countries to work together in the future.

The same day, Kerry and his entourage surveyed a landslide site in Cồn Nhàn and Bảo Thuận sea dyke in Ba Tri District.

They also visited Pacifico Sunpro Bến Tre Wind Power Plant in Bình Đạt District’s Thới Thuận Commune and a cocoa production and processing facility in Châu Thành District. — VNS