Mekong Delta climate change mitigation discussed Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that the Mekong Delta region was facing the worst consequences of climate change and measures would be needed to mitigate the effects. Cuong made the proposal at the Conference on Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development of the Mekong Delta in Can Tho City on September 27.   The severe drought in the Mekong Delta region Climate change had seriously affected the Mekong Delta, with local farmers being the hardest hit, the minister said. Early 2016, up to one million local households lacked fresh water and this figure was forecasted to sharply rise when the region has seen more saltwater intrusion. Up to 40% of the Mekong Delta’s area could be flooded by the end of the 21st century if the sea level rises by a metre and if Vietnam fails to provide solutions. Cuong added that urgent measures should be taken to protect the Mekong Delta region, the country’s biggest rice hub. He proposed to the government to speed up research and production varieties for seafood, fruits, and rice to ensure that they can better adapt to climate change. He noted that it was important for the Mekong Delta region to build new-style co-operatives and farms which co-operate with enterprises to form production chains. According to the minister, the current 227,000 hectares of the region’s forest need to be maintained and protected. It was also necessary to develop more mangrove forests in the region to protect the coastline. Cuong recommended dealing with 41 areas which are in serious erosion in the region as soon as possible. VietnamNet