The seminar, held on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference, was co-chaired by Vietnamese Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen and Deputy Minister Nguyen Thai Lai. 

“Despite the adverse impact of climate change such as rising sea level and natural disasters, the Government of Vietnam pledged to cope with the phenomena effectively by executing its National Target Programme on Climate Change with assistance provided by donors and the international community,” said Mr. Nguyen. 

At the seminar, representatives from the Ministries of Natural Resources and Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development, Science and Technology, presented reports on the real situation of climate change in Vietnam and the country’s policies and strategies to mitigate its impact. 

Worthy of note were issues regarding rising sea levels, management of natural disaster risks, management and protection of forests, how to seek funding for the implementation of the National Target Programme on Climate Change, the possibility of wind and solar energy development, and experiences in cooperation with international and non-governmental organisations. 

The same day, Mr. Nguyen had a meeting with Luxembourg’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs, Marie Josee Jacobs. 

He told the Luxembourg minister that Vietnam is forecast to suffer far-reaching effects of climate change and likely to lose up to 40 percent of its area in the Mekong delta region – the country’s main granary. 

Ensuring food security for Vietnam means ensuring food security for the world because Vietnam is capable of providing rice for an additional 100 million people along with its population of 87 million, he said. 

Marie Jacobs said Luxembourg is willing to assist Vietnam in response to climate change and will earmark part of its funding, equivalent to one percent of its budget, reserved for developing nations to support their endeavours in this field. 

A day earlier, Mr. Nguyen delivered a speech at a forum entitled “Global view on forests and climate change” where he emphasised Vietnam’s efforts to tighten forest management and protection and warned of the deforestation and forest degradation in the world. 

The Vietnamese minister called upon the world to join hands to protect forests and combat climate change.