Viet Nam News NEW YORK — UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday vowed to keep pressing global leaders to take greater action against human-caused climate change as temperatures rise and natural disasters wreak havoc around the world. "If we do not change course by 2020, we risk missing the point where we can avoid runaway climate change, with disastrous consequences for people and all the natural systems that sustain us," Guterres told an audience of diplomats, youth representatives and UN staff while announcing plans to convene a 2019 climate summit next September in New York. The Paris climate agreement, which went into effect in late 2016 as a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, aims to keep an increase in average world temperatures to "well below" 2 degrees Celsius -- and ideally closer to 1.5 degrees Celsius -- compared to pre-industrial levels so as to limit the occurrence of droughts, floods, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and other adverse effects of global … [Read more...] about UN chief urges leaders to step up fight on climate change
Natural events that cause climate change
Mobilising resources to cope with climate change
The Mekong Delta is one of the three deltas most hit by climate change in the world due to rising sea levels. A climate change scenario shows that the temperature at the end of the century will increase by roughly 3.4 degrees Celsius, and if the sea level rises to 100 centimetres, approximately 40% of the land area of the delta will be flooded. Climate change also increases the risk of natural disasters and extreme weather events, such as heavy rains, storms, hurricanes, and tornadoes, which will affect the livelihoods of people in the region. The exploitation of upstream water resources, especially the construction of hydropower dams, has also changed the flow of water, reduced the amount of sediment and fisheries resources, as well as causing deep salinisation in the region and negative impacts on the local socio-economic development. Furthermore, riverbank, canal and coastline erosion are occurring in most of the Mekong Delta provinces. The latest statistics show that the whole … [Read more...] about Mobilising resources to cope with climate change
Hi-tech application touted as solution to climate change adaptation
Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) - Vietnam has been promoting the application of high technologies in agriculture production as part of efforts to adapt to climate change and strive towards sustainable agriculture development, heard the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on July 19. Participants to the event are debating impacts caused by climate change on the regional agriculture as well as advantages and challenges of the progress towards sustainable agricultural development and adaptation to climate change in ASEM member countries. Dr. Tang The Cuong, Director of the Department of Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment stressed that Vietnam considers climate change response as a vital task as it is one of the countries hardest hit by climate change. The Vietnamese Government has taken drastic actions in restructuring its economy, especially agricultural restructuring, in order to cope with climate … [Read more...] about Hi-tech application touted as solution to climate change adaptation
Protecting farmers from climate affect a priority: UN
(VEN) - According to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 2005 and 2015 natural disasters cost the agricultural sectors of developing economies US$96 billion in damaged or lost crop and livestock production. The report was presented at a conference held in Hanoi on March 15 and 16 to promote implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in the agricultural sectors of Asia and the Pacific. Climate change impact Half that damage – US$48 billion – occurred in Asia, says the report. Some 83 percent of all drought-related economic losses accounted for US$29 billion, according to the report, entitled “The impacts of disaster and crisis on agriculture and food security 2017”. Its authors warned that their findings did not encompass the full picture of damage to agriculture, as little is known about loss to fisheries, aquaculture and forestry. According to the FAO, while climate change and … [Read more...] about Protecting farmers from climate affect a priority: UN
FAO helps Asia-Pacific’s agriculture adapt to climate change
A photo of the conference held on March 15 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is cooperating with its member states in the Asia-Pacific region as well as relevant social organisations to improve the agriculture sector’s adaptation to climate change and reduce its reception of impacts of the weather phenomenon. The move is part of the activities to carry out the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai Framework), heard a regional conference held in Hanoi on March 15. The framework outlines four priorities for actions to be taken to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks, including understanding disaster risks, strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risks, investing in disaster reduction for resilience and enhancing disaster preparedness for effective response. The management of disaster risks should be included in all development sectors as it is crucial to … [Read more...] about FAO helps Asia-Pacific’s agriculture adapt to climate change