Saturday 4 October 2008

Mekong delta discusses climate change

VietNamNet Bridge – Impacts of climate change on the Mekong Delta region was discussed at a workshop held in southern Can Tho City on Oct. 2-3Participants agreed that global climate change has been posing a great challenge to the Mekong delta.
 

In the next 60 years, climate change will cause drastic changes to the region’s natural environment as well as its socio-economic performance

As the sea water levels will rise by an additional 1 metre, large areas of the region will be permanently inundated. For coastal lands, about 15,000-20,000 sq.km will be fully flooded, leading to changes in the living environment of many sea creatures.

The region will also suffer from more droughts as intervals of flood seasons.

These happenings will seriously effect agriculture production, fishery, transportation, local people’s health and increase the risk of forest fires.

To cope with climate change, participants recommended regional provinces to adjust their social-economic development plans, focusing on adaptation to the changes.