Legal framework required amid severe climate change consequences

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam speaks at the 3rd plenary session of the  26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Ha Noi on January 20, 2018. Photo: VGP

Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam made the point at the 3^rd plenary session of the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) in Ha Noi on January 20.

Dam said climate change, rising sea levels are no longer potential risks, but rather clear and present danger, he said, adding that right in Ha Noi, just last summer, temperatures reached record highs in the past four decades.

He went on to say that if the sea level rises by one meter, roughly 40% of the Mekong River Delta will be underwater. The Delta’s rice output is estimated at 12 million tons per year compared to the country’s export volume of six million tons).

If the above scenario occurs, roughly 10-12% of Viet Nam’s population will be directly impacted and 10% of GDP will be lost, according to Deputy PM Dam.

Photo: VGP

Regarding resources for sustainable development, Deputy PM called on APPF parliaments to formulate legal systems that clearly specify the rights and responsibilities of organizations, individuals; give priority to resources for implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); mainstream SDG issues into public expenditure programs; and strengthen private investments, public private partnerships for SDGs.

He also emphasized the importance of cooperation among parliaments as the legislative bodies have the final say in many pressing issues across nations.

He also lauded the role of the APPF which has proven its relevance in regional issues, promoted reforms to better adapt to changing regional and global developments, continued to build on parliamentary diplomacy to supplement the effective implementation of cooperation programs with other regional mechanisms, including APEC./.

By Hoang Ha