Why did the DFID put this issue on the agenda now?

In last year’s CG Meeting I was very surprised there was no discussion about climate change. I tried my best to put this issue on the agenda because in the long-term, climate change may greatly impact economic growth.

The World Bank’s research in 2006 shows Vietnam among five countries that will be hit hardest by rising sea levels. We can clearly see the economic damage climate change can do.

In your opinion, are Vietnamese leaders and people aware how serious climate change is?

Vietnamese people clearly understand the impacts of climate change on their daily lives. The situation is completely different from 20 years ago.

Vietnamese leaders are also aware. They have witnessed the many challenges. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on December 6 said he considered climate change a major issue. He hopes that by next year, Vietnam will have developed a climate change action plan. This was the first time I have heard the Prime Minister so directly and assertively address this issue.

The challenge now is how Vietnam will develop an effective action plan. Climate change is too big for only one ministry. The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment can’t do it alone.

This being the case, Vietnam should do what it did when it joined the WTO. Cooperation is needed at all levels to succeed, not just the commitment of the Prime Minister. The entire Government should be addressing this issue and a unified mechanism is needed to implement whatever plan they come up with.

What advice would you give for dealing with climate change?

The first issue Vietnam needs to address is developing a realizable plan this is based on detailed local and global climate change research.

The second suggestion is ensuring food security through agricultural development.

Research is very necessary for future plans. It will take 5-10 years and Vietnam should do it right now.

There are many financial resources available for this kind of work. Vietnam can and needs to attract investments for reducing emissions.

There are many funds targeting environmental problems, and they are available. Vietnam is lagging behind China, India and Thailand in having access to these sources of capital.

In actuality, global climate change is mostly caused by developed countries, while citizens of underdeveloped nations, particularly the poor, suffer the most. Do the UK and other developed countries have any plans to share the burden with developing nations?

There are two things that developing countries like the UK can do. The first is technology sharing. I’ve mentioned modern equipment to calculate the impacts of climate change when building infrastructure. We can help developing countries like Vietnam access these technologies.

At the same time, developed countries like the UK also provide a lot of financial support, for example green development mechanism. It is disappointing that Vietnam doesn’t take full advantage of these funds.

How can Vietnam access these sources?

Like other developing countries, Vietnam needs to have a good plan and a strong commitment to environmental improvement.

Vietnam has been aware of climate change but has faced a variety of challenges that have overshadowed this issue.

Vietnam doesn’t have a plan to access these sources and thereby doesn’t receive funding. Donors won’t give money when they don’t know how you will spend it.

Does the UK plan to provide ODA to Vietnam to deal with climate change?

The UK provides ODA to help solve a variety of problems. We provide money for Vietnam to solve issues that the Government prioritizes. Donors never decide how capital will or should be used. That is up to the recipient country.

If the Vietnamese Government has a good plan, considers climate change a priority and asks for assistance from the UK, our Government is ready to help. However, we will not donate until an effective strategy is in place.

Source: VietnamNet.