HÀ NỘI — The latest indicators of climate change and rising sea levels in Việt Nam suggest that the country is at risk in the near future.

These were the concerns raised with young people on climate change in a discussion jointly held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE), the HCM Communist Youth Union’s Central Committee, the National Economic University and the French Development Agency (AFD) in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Tăng Thế Cường, head of MoNRE’s Climate Change Department, said Việt Nam was one of the countries most affected by the consequences of climate change.

The phenomenon of extreme weather has had a negative impact on production, destroyed infrastructure, and taken lives in many areas across the country, he said.

The trend of storms, droughts, rising of sea levels, landslides and erosion was intensified in many parts of the country, especially in the mountainous and coastal areas, and in the Mekong Delta.

“Việt Nam will face risks that will affect people’s lives as well as the sustainable development of our country if we don’t have comprehensive solutions to response to climate change,” Cường said.

In 2008, the Vietnamese Government adopted a national strategy to respond to climate change, as well as a strategy for green growth from 2012.

In order to achieve these goals, all parties and members of society, especially young people, need to actively participate in activities to combat climate change. Young people are the core of society, and decide the country’s future, he said.

During the dialogue, the AFD and MoNRE announced the launch of the GEMMES Việt Nam programme, focusing on economic research on climate change.

The programme will analyse the impacts of ecological disturbances and their interaction with financial risks. Special attention will be paid to the consequences of global warming and to the increased scarcity of extractive natural resources. GEMMES is thus a suitable tool for the political decision-making made necessary by the Paris Agreement (COP 21).

AFD would work closely with the MoNRE and the National Committee on Climate Change to apply the latest research methods to analysing the economic effects of climate change, AFD’s director, Fabrice Richy said.

Accordingly, Việt Nam will be the first country in Asia to employ this programme.

Managers, scientists and young people also discussed the reality and direction for a sustainable development in Việt Nam, as well as the need to change young people’s habits, and the way they engage with their surroundings, to combat climate change.

The dialogue attracted thousands of students and young scientists from universities. — VNS