Ho Chi Minh City and 11 Mekong Delta cities and provinces took part in an exhibition on climate change – challenges and opportunities for Asia – Europe cooperation in Mekong Delta Can Tho city on June 19.
At the launching ceremony of the exhibition (Photo: VNA)
The exhibition was held within the framework of the upcoming Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) conference on climate change response.
The southern hub alongside Can Tho, An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang and Vinh Long together showcased what they have done to protect the environment and cope with climate change and exhibited signature farm produce of climate change-hit areas, particularly plants adapted to climate change.
The exhibition also provided visitors with information on regional investment attraction in agriculture and special techniques to cultivate many plants.
Furthermore, the event introduced the Mekong Delta’s natural resources and biodiversity in line with projects related to climate change and sustainable development in the hope of fostering international cooperation in climate change response and the regional sustainable development.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador of Belgium to Vietnam Jeganne Roccas said the Belgian Embassy and the Ministry of Agriculture will work together to bring Belgian agribusinesses to Vietnam in the time ahead to meet with local firms, take trips to farm product processing plants and learn first-hand about agricultural potentials of each locality to come up with proper cooperation plans.
Andrea Faulkner, Assistant Secretary at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, noted that her department is coordinating with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources to develop a strategy for cooperation with Vietnam from 2018 – 2028, aiming to support Vietnam in agricultural research and development.
The projected areas will be the Northwest region, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta. Australia will share with Vietnam its experience in production and marketing of farm produce and livestock products, how to control product quality and food safety and ways to use water economically and cultivate when there is limited agricultural land.
Vietnam is viewed as one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. Especially, the Mekong Delta region is one of the three deltas in the world most vulnerable to sea level rise, together with the Nile River Delta in Egypt and the Ganges River Delta in Bangladesh.-VNA