Secretary of the Dong Thap provincial Party Committee Le Minh Hoan speaks at the workshop in Can Tho city on November 22 (Photo: VNA)Can Tho (VNA) – Policies and solutions topromote sustainable development and climate change response in the Mekong Deltaof Vietnam were suggested at a workshop in Can Tho city on November 22.
Andrew Wyatt, Mekong Delta Programme Manager ofthe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said the region isfacing certain challenges, noting that the local flood control is currentlyunsustainable as a system of high dykes have increased disaster risks and couldpush these risks to other areas.
The unsustainable land use, caused by weakgroundwater resource and sediment management, has led to subsidence inlow-lying areas that is even more serious than that caused by the sea levelrise. Insufficient marine spatial planning has also raised natural disasterrisks posed by strong storms and the rising sea level, he noted.
Wyatt said to curb the increase of disasterrisks resulted in by unsustainable development, it is necessary to preserve andrestore flood absorbing areas in the Plain of Reeds and Long Xuyen Quadrangleby applying flood-based agricultural models.
Intensive shrimp farms should be relocated awayfrom coastal areas and replaced with forest-based shrimp farming to protect thecoast, he said, stressing that this will help reduce groundwater overexploitationthat subsequently leads to subsidence.
Le Minh Hoan, Secretary of the Dong Thapprovincial Party Committee, said the most important thing is that the MekongDelta localities have to change the mindset of their administration, farmers,as well as businesses. Instead of cultivating three rice crops per year, localfarmers should apply rice – fish, rice – shrimp or rice – lotus farming models.They should also cultivate other kinds of plants and animals for bettereconomic benefits.
Meanwhile, Director of the Soc Trang provincialDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development Luong Minh Quyet said technicalinfrastructure needs to be completed first to sustainably develop the MekongDelta.
The region consists of 13 provincial-levellocalities, but it has had only 50km of expressways, Quyet noted, adding thatthis is the biggest obstacle to local socio-economic development.
Without good infrastructure for transportation,the region will definitely not be able to develop even in normal climateconditions, not to mention the devastating impact of climate change, hestressed. –VNA
VNA
