"Sustainable economic growth must not go along with increased energy consumption, material abuse and extreme emissions. Clean, environment-friendly production (green industry) is the way Vietnam must go to realize its industrialization and modernization objectives."
The above words were said by the general director of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Kandeh K. Yumkella, in his talk with students of the Hanoi University of Technology on September 7, 2009.Climate change and rising seawater levels have had adverse impacts on human life, and these natural phenomena happen every day, every hour all over the world. From the viewpoints of politicians and security experts, climate change has a very big, long-lasting and unpredictable impact on global peace and security, and it can be even more serious than terrorism. Climate change will cause global calamities that will damage the natural environment and threaten the lives of millions of people. It will lead to increased emigration and is very dangerous for low-lying countries when the sea level rises.
A UNIDO human development report themed Climate change was announced recently all over the world releasing the information that is of concern for Vietnam. As analyzed by UNIDO, Vietnam will be one of the five countries that will suffer the heaviest impact of climate change, especially the Red River and the Mekong River deltas. Scientists said that the earth is warming up and in the near future, the seawater level in Vietnam will possibly rise by about 1m and because of this, one fifth of the countrys territory will be under water and about 22 million people will lose their homes and farming land. Reality shows that in the past 50 years, the average temperature in Vietnam has increased by 0.5-0.7 degree centigrade a year.
The Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment has done research in many localities, including Ho Chi Minh City and Vung Tau. They found that since 1960, the average temperature in these cities has increased by two degrees centigrade. The research results also show that the current seawater level has risen by 20cm compared with 10 years ago. In the past, many areas of the southern region never suffered a storm but nowadays storms have caused big losses for these areas. Natural disasters have happened in almost every locality nationwide. The rain intensity and rainfall have increased in many places leading to terrible floods and landslides.
The serious impact of climate change on Vietnam is a big hindrance for realizing the countrys millennium development goals. The areas that suffer the biggest impact of climate change include natural water resources, agriculture and food security, health, delta and coastal areas.
The main factor making climate change is greenhouse gas emissions that have a very bad impact on the earths atmosphere and environment. As much as 65 percent of the total volume of greenhouse gas emissions all over the globe comes from industrial production facilities. Therefore, mankind must seek ways to develop green industry to maintain sustainable growth, especially in countries that have fast-growing economies like Vietnam.
To help Vietnam maintain its growth rate and have a modern industrial sector by 2020, UNIDO is providing the Vietnamese Government and business sector with assistance in the fields related to cleaner production, energy efficiency and sustainable management of wastes. In the opinion of UNIDO experts, after it reaches the industrialization goals in 2020, Vietnam will have to make further efforts to maintain a good environment for the younger generations. On August 20, 2009, the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment announced a scenario for climate change and seawater level rise in Vietnam, which will serve as the basis for other ministries and departments to devise suitable development programs that can help minimize the adverse impact of climate change.
Nguyen Trong Giang, the rector of the Hanoi University of Technology, highly appreciates UNIDO for their assistance for Vietnam to establish and put into operation the Vietnam Cleaner Production Center of the Hanoi University of Technology. This center will provide service providers and industrial companies with high-quality services related to financial techniques, technology, training and information about cleaner production.
It will contribute to sustainable industrial development in Vietnam.
"The Hanoi University of Technology cooperates with UNIDO to equip the young generation with necessary knowledge, technology and skills so that they can contribute effectively to the industrialization cause of Vietnam," said Mr. Giang.
