Climate change in Mekong Delta region in spotlight                                    The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development held a workshop in Hanoi on September 17 to discuss ways of minimising the impact of climate change in the Mekong Delta region.    Illustrative image At the event, World Bank (WB) coordinator Anjali Acharya said that Vietnam faces many different scenarios resulting from changes in the global climate. She stressed the importance of the Mekong Delta preparing for the possible impacts without delay by improving infrastructure, reducing poverty and securing the upper Mekong River.  Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Hoang Van Thong said Vietnam needs the WB’s support to review all relevant studies and agree on an appropriate strategy for the Mekong Delta region, as there is currently no master study on the area.  Meanwhile, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Department under the Ministry Dinh Vu Thanh noted that activities to reduce climate change impacts should be combined with upgrades that serve agricultural and rural development in the region.  Vietnam is assessed as one of the nations gravely affected by climate change. According to the latest scenario, by the late 21st century, the country will see an average temperature increasing 2.1 to 3.3 degrees Celsius and sea level rising one metre from the 1980-1990 period.  Sea level rise would likely flood 40 percent of land area in the Mekong Delta, 11 percent of the Red River area and 3 percent of other coastal provinces. It means that about 12 percent of the population would be affected directly and about 10 percent of GDP would be lost.  At its seventh session, the 11th Party Central Committee has approved a resolution on responding to climate change, managing natural resources and protecting the environment.-VNA