There is no denying scientists’ evidence that humankind’s development activities over the years have accelerated the process of climate change. Greenhouse gases have caused global warming, thawing glaciers at both poles and subsequent rising sea levels. Although listed among developing countries, Vietnam emits less greenhouse gases than others, but is still considered one of the five countries that will be most seriously affected by climate change and rising sea levels.

Being aware of the adverse impact of climate change, Vietnam signed the United Nations Convention on Climate Change in June 1992 and approved it on November 16, 2002. It also approved the Kyoto Protocol on September 25 2002.

However, at the International Scientific Conference on Climate Change in the Polish City of Brosman, although the participating countries were aware of the risk of global warming, they couldn’t reach an agreement to cut down greenhouse gases because they all put their own countries’ interests above all. What they could agree on was the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which allows nations with large greenhouse gas emissions to cut them down by investing in environmentally-friendly technologies for countries with lower greenhouse gas emissions. Vietnam, one of these countries, will now have the chance to access clean technologies.

Vietnam is among five countries that will be most seriously affected by climate change

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) is conducting research on different scenarios of climate change and building a national strategy to deal with the situation. MONRE has also declared a national programme on climate change response. The total capital invested in the programme until 2015 is estimated to reach nearly VND2,000 billion.

Climate change is a long process and there is just enough time to find response measures. For example, it is impossible to build a solid concrete dyke system for the 3000-kilometre coastline, but it is feasible to build dykes and develop mangrove forests in important areas to protect them from being encroached upon by the sea. In the Mekong Delta, most of the rice-cultivated areas are at risk of being damaged, and we are reinforcing the dyke system to protect the residential areas and creating salt-resistant rice varieties while boosting aquaculture production in a sustainable way.

Time and tide wait for no man. There is not much time left for us if we remain passive in response to climate change. How to cope with water-logging in Ho Chi Minh City, rising flood waters in the Northern Delta, salinity in the Mekong Delta, and natural disasters remain a big worry. Every time storms make landfall and cause flooding, the entire society has to join efforts in the fight against natural disasters but unprofessionally in one way or another as it used to happen in localities.

Climate change is a long process which requires a great deal of response effort from every people, the role of communal management and the responsibility of policy makers.