Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked relevant agencies to rapidly complete and publish the latest climate change and rising sea level scenarios for likely affected localities.

     The PM was speaking to members of the Steering Board of the National Target Programme (NTP) on Climate Change in the capital city on February 16.

     That was the second time the National Steering Board had met to discuss orientations and plans for the implementation of the NTP for the 2011-15 period.

     It is forecast that Vietnam is one of several developing countries that will be seriously affected by climate change, particularly rising sea levels.

     Climate change will seriously affect people's livelihoods, the environment and infrastructure as well as the gains Vietnam has achieved in poverty reduction in recent years.

     As a proactive response to climate change, Vietnam ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol in 2008, with the country adopting its own NTP.

     Vietnam has successfully mobilised more than USD1.2 billion from international donors for activities in response to climate change. So far funding of about USD1.3 billion has been committed or is in the process of negotiation with international donors for the NTP.

     During their discussions, members of the steering board agreed to focus on drafting legal documents in response to climate change while reviewing the contents of the NTP. The meeting focused on immediate points of action.

     They also agreed on the need to have international donors involved in the programme's activities and management unit, with specific tasks assigned to each locality and agency.

     "In the comprehensive strategy on climate change and rising sea levels we have to highlight the importance of the issue – a matter of life or death of the nation," said Dung adding "Having a good strategy will guide us developing action plans to ensure the NTP is successfully executed."

     He asked all sectors and localities to make best use of their internal resources while mobilising external support to invest in projects to respond to climate change and the sea level rises.

     He ordered the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to co-ordinate with other ministries, sectors and localities to specify activities that must be urgently undertaken to cope with the negative impact of climate change, including the reduction of the greenhouse gases - Source: dtnews