Natural disasters and climate change are posing mounting challenges to
sustainable development and Vietnam ’s practical experience in
mitigating natural calamity consequences suggested taking integrated
measures to make the work productive.
Minister of
Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat has said in a
presentation delivered to the Fourth Session of the Global Platform for
Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva , Switzerland on May 21-23.
Phat stressed the need to develop a system of legal documents
clarifying responsibilities of relevant agencies in each stage, ranging
from preparedness, mitigation, response to aftermath overcoming.
Precautionary and combat measures must be overseen in a uniform way
across the country, from the central to grassroots levels while medium
and long-term strategies to mitigate calamity consequences should be
outlined to fit the approved action plan.
The Government needs
to support plans to improve public awareness, sci-tech application
efficiency, and supervisory and assessment tools, and strengthen natural
disaster forecast and warning systems, Phat said.
He also underscored the importance of getting businesses and community
involved in the process as well as increasing regional and global
cooperation in minimising disaster risks and coping with climate change.
Talking with a Vietnam News Agency
correspondent in Switzerland , Phat said in the Law on Natural
Disaster Prevention, which is scheduled for adoption at the ongoing
National Assembly’s fifth session, people, businesses and other sectors
will be the cornerstone of the fight against calamities.
The Minister added that the Government will devise synchronous
strategies against climate change affectively while developing a green
economy.
On the fringes of the event which was
hosted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Phat
and Dutch representatives also co-chaired a meeting on May 21.
Climate change, including global warming, not only results in
environmental tragedies but also harms economic activities worldwide.
Natural
disasters have since early this century sparked economic damage of 2.5
trillion USD while claiming millions of lives each year.
Vietnam is among 168 countries joining the 10-year action plan
entitled “Hyogo Framework for Action” on minimising natural disaster
risks and dealing with climate change.-VNA