Addressing the event, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai stressed the strategic role of the Mekong Delta in ensuring national food security and sustainable development. However, the region is facing challenges related to water resources, salt water infiltration and negative impact of climate change. This is also the challenge for socio-economic development of Vietnam – a country with a long coastline.

Hai added that in recent times, the Vietnamese Government, together with international efforts, has drastically integrated climate change response activities into socio-economic development plans and paid special attention to the Mekong Delta.
 

He spoke highly of the international community’s support for Vietnam in recent times, wishing that international organisations will continue assisting climate change response activities of Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta in particular.

World Bank (WB) country director Victoria Kwakwa in turn said Vietnam should take immediate actions to save the solution implementation cost.

The WB and development partners can help Vietnam access professional knowledge and technical and financial support to implement measures to mitigate the impact of climate change in the region, said Kwakwa.

Participants at the forum will focus on long-term issues such as strengthening natural disaster forecasting and warning system, accelerating research on the surface and ground water in the region and reviewing all development plans in the region and others.