Professor Tran Tho Dat, Chairman of the National Economics University Council, delivers a speech at an international workshop on climate change and agriculture (Photo: National Economics University)Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Aninternational workshop, titled ‘Climate Change and Agriculture: Status, Impact,Adaptation, Insurance in Vietnam and Taiwan’ has been held in Hanoi.
The workshop was held at the National Economics University as part of theTaiwan Studies Project ‘Enhance research collaboration and experience sharingbetween the National Economics University in Vietnam and Institutions in Taiwanon Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management’ funded by Taiwan’s educationauthority.
The workshop was attended by representatives from the Taipei Economic andCultural Office in Vietnam, National Taiwan University, ministries of Vietnamas well as scientists and experts from both home and abroad.
In his opening speech, Professor Tran Tho Dat, Chairman of the NationalEconomics University Council showed that the Mekong River Delta is one of therichest and most productive agricultural areas in Southeast Asia, contributinga high percentage of agricultural products to the whole country.
He said that many agricultural commodities of the Mekong River Delta werepresent and favoured in many countries around the world.
“However, major challenges facing the delta remain such as a scarcity offreshwater, sea level rise, saline intrusion, flood and drought which calls forstronger participation of stakeholders for the sustainable andclimate-resilient development of the Mekong River Delta,” Dat said, adding thatglobal climate change challenges can only be addressed if people strengthencollaboration and joint action for both adaptation and mitigation.
“This will require a significant increase in financial and technical contributionsfrom all partners, including the private sector, academia and civil society.Bringing these all together will create an effective framework for climateaction,” he said.
Dat expressed the highest appreciation fornational and international organisations, individuals who have supported theimplementation of the project.
The workshop also announced an important product of the project – an Englishmonograph titled "Climate Change and Agriculture: Status, Impact,Adaptation, Insurance in the Mekong River Delta in Vietnam” – to be compiled bya group of researchers from the National Economics University.
The monograph reviews the challenges faced bythe Mekong River Delta between the past, present and 2100, particularly thoserelated to agricultural production as well as adaptation strategies inagriculture, including agricultural insurance, in the Mekong River Delta.
In addition, participants had the opportunity to learn from different studiesand perspectives on issues of agricultural policy, climate change adaptationstrategies, the application of the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE)approach in the Green House Gases emission projection and insurance againstnatural disasters – which were presented by leading experts from the VietnamMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development and National Taiwan University.-VNS/VNA
