Climate change resilient infrastructure

As coastal erosion continues to affect thousands of lives in Vietnam's southernmost province, authorities are taking steps to adapt to climate change before the damage reaches irreversible levels. “I can't buy freshwater because there's not enough available, and even when I have money, it's too expensive. When I return dirty from work, I just jump into my shrimp breeding pond, which contains seawater,” says Tran Van Ut, a farmer in the southernmost province of Ca Mau. A few years ago, seawater was located about 100 to 200 metres from Ut's house in the coastal commune of Dat Mui in Ngoc Hien District. "But now, the seawater is just 10 to 15 metres away and has already entered my underground well," he says. Ut is one of thousands of residents in the area whose farms have been affected by coastal erosion and saline intrusion due to the effects of climate change. Due to the impact of climate change, riverbank and coastal erosion in Ca Mau Province has increased in recent … [Read more...] about Ca Mau adapts to climate change

The carcass of a cow lies on the trail leading to Bermo. (Photo: AFP/Marco Longari) It was noon and 45 degrees Celsius on the ninth day of their quest to reach new pastures. There was no tree anywhere, no shelter at all for his family, 27 sheep and six camels. "We heard that the first rain has fallen in the north. That's where we're going," the turbaned herder said, as he filled up a water bottle at the side of the road. An arduous trail lay ahead: more than 100 kilometres across the arid wastes of southern Niger before the family reached their goal. There at Bermo, they counted on joining thousands of other herders, spending a few months in verdant hollows on the edge of the Sahara, famous for their moist air, juicy grass and water. The annual migration of the nomadic Fulani community - also called Peuls - is a vast caravan of herder folk that tails back to neighbouring Nigeria. Women and children perched on donkeys already overburdened with bags of jute, plastic containers, … [Read more...] about Climate change threatens end of trail for Niger’s nomadic herders

Hundreds of thousands are leaving every year as climate change hits the massive delta Climate change is costing people their livelihoods, leading to an internal migration crisis in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam, studies have shown. The Mekong Delta is a tremendous area of over 3.9 million hectares, famed for its fertility and contribution to domestic and global agriculture, aquaculture and economy. This region, hosting thirteen provinces, is also known as Vietnam’s Southern Plains in the local geographical terms, or mien Tay (the West) as the locals warmly call it. Due to severe climatic impact, however, its 18 million residents are economically at stake, with many internally migrating in the hope of better life. In the last 10 years, the internal migration rate in the Mekong Delta has been double that of the national average, with 1.7 million leavers and merely 700,000 new settlers. When climate hits, livelihoods suffer The Deltas, Vulnerability & Climate Change: … [Read more...] about ​Vietnam’s Mekong Delta residents internally migrate due to climate change: researches

Politicians and diplomats meet in Spain as scientists and charities say urgent steps are needed. According to UN Secretary General António Guterres, "the point of no return is no longer over the horizon". Meanwhile, Save the Children says that climate shocks have left millions in Africa facing hunger. The charity says 33 million people are at emergency levels of food insecurity due to cyclones and droughts. This conference of the parties, or COP25, was due to be held in Chile but was cancelled by the government due to weeks of civil disturbances.  Spain then stepped in to host the event, which will see 29,000 attendees over the two weeks of talks. Speaking ahead of the meeting the UN secretary general said the climate crisis was imminent and political leaders had to respond. "In the crucial 12 months ahead, it is essential that we secure more ambitious national commitments - particularly from the main emitters - to immediately start reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a … [Read more...] about Climate change: COP25 talks to open as ‘point of no return’ in sight

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of the GDP, presided over the seminar with the participation of a number of generals, representatives of civilian and military organs and units, localities, and troops from the Naval, Border Guard, Coast Guard, and Fisheries Resources Surveillance forces. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Trong Nghia speaking at the seminar Addressing the seminar, General Nghia emphasized the special important role of the seas and islands in the socio-economic development and national defense-security safeguarding strategy. Nghia said that the national seas and islands are not only components of the sacred sovereignty and sovereignty right of the country, but also the living and development space of generations of the Vietnamese people. In the old days, Vietnamese people pursued good maritime policies: Exploiting huge potential of the sea for national development and human livelihoods while building a people’s … [Read more...] about Seminar highlights military’s safeguarding of maritime sovereignty and response to climate change