Climate change (or climatic change as one of my former colleagues would say) is affecting Vietnam in a BIG way. According to an Asia Development Bank report, Vietnam is one of the countries most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
It [the report] predicts that by the end of the century rice production will decline dramatically and rising sea levels could submerge tens of thousands of hectares of cropland, forcing thousands of families in coastal areas to relocate. More than 12 million people could be affected by increased water stress.
The ADB, of course, is not the only well known organization that has expressed deep concerns about climate change in Vietnam. OXFAM released a report in November 2008, outlining their findings from field research in Ben Tre and Quang Tri provinces. Their main findings? Not surprisingly, that poor women and men are the most at risk from the likely increase in extreme weather events (for example, typhoons in Ben Tre province, neighbour to Tra Vinh). Women, in particular, are vulnerable because A) they can't swim, B) they have no money or alternate means of earning an income when their crops are destroyed, and C) they have fewer employment opportunities away from home. The OXFAM researchers recommend a number of things; I found it interesting that "There is a pressing need for a much greater knowledge base of the possibilities of salt-resistant, flood-resistant or drought resistant crops, which should be developed with the active involvement of smallholders on their plots." Reports like this often make me wonder how realistic the recommendations are, but in this case I think training farmers to adapt to a saltier water environment is pretty basic and should be done immediately.
This article in the Courrier du Vietnam also explains a little more about the threats to the Mekong:
En général, la température moyenne dans l'ensemble du pays a augmenté de 1ºC à 2ºC par rapport à la moyenne des autres années. La rigueur du climat a entraîné de nombreux problèmes pour le monde agricole, surtout au Nord et au Centre. Les faibles précipitations, qui ont fortement affecté le débit des cours d'eau, au grand dam des riziculteurs.
....Actuellement, la sécheresse et l'invasion de l'eau salée menacent le delta du Mékong. Des milliers de foyers vivant sur le littoral manquent d'eau douce. L'invasion de l'eau salée dans les rizières met la production rizicole en danger. Environ 6.000 ha de riz d'hiver-printemps seront affectés plus ou moins durement. Full article here
Rice production is being threatened, not to mention that there have been reports of 13 forest fires in the month of February alone. Pretty terrible stuff, for a region that depends on agriculture. The volunteer from Spain (Ms. not Mr.) is working with the agriculture department at TVU for the remainder of her term here...she was actually at a conference on climate change, up in Hue (in the central part of Vietnam), before Tet. I will have to ask her what she learned...Am a little frustrated at times with my complete lack of Vietnamese (I know, partly my own fault for not trying harder), English language newspapers are not available in Tra Vinh Town so I have to get news from online sources.
And complete non sequitur here...But CANADA WON! Men's and women's hockey won gold at the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Of course you already all know that, I just wanted to say WE ROOOOCK! LET'S GO CANADA!
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