Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) – The Norwegian Church Aid will continue working closely with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment as well as religions in protecting the environment and responding to climate change response.
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) General Secretary Anne Marie Helland made the pledge at her meeting with Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) President Nguyen Thien Nhan in central Thua Thien-Hue province on December 1.
The NCA General Secretary is attending a national workshop on environment protection and climate change response, which is to open in the province on December 2.
She hailed Vietnam’s initiatives on involving all religions in the environment protection and climate change response.
The VFF President told the NCA official that Vietnam has implemented a number of comprehensive measures to adapt to climate change.
He highlighted the effective cooperation with NCA in social activities, especially in the environment protection and climate change response.
Nhan said the NCA General Secretary’s participation in the workshop is significant as it came at a time with the ongoing 21st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris.
The NCA, a non-governmental organisation also known as the Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV), has contributed effectively to improving public health and gender equality as well as helped vulnerable Vietnamese respond to climate change during its 20-year operation in the country.
NAV funds about 1.2 million USD for Vietnam each year through its projects and programmes.
It has effectively carried out a programme on HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment at 17 prisons in 12 provinces and worked with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee to help promote the involvement of religions and religious organisations in the fight.
The organisation has also coordinated with social and religious organisations in climate change adaptation and social affairs.-VNA