Hanoi (VNA) – The Prime Minister has agreed in principle theorganisation of the forum on sustainable and climate-resilient development ofthe Mekong Delta in October 2019.

The leader has asked the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment tocoordinate with the Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Planningand Investment, Finance, Construction, Transport, Home Affairs, and Informationand Communications, and relevant agencies to decide on the forum’s theme andprepare for the agenda. The work must be reported to the PM in February 2019.

The Mekong Delta makes up 12 percent of the country’s natural land and 19percent of national population. As the country’s largest agriculturalproduction centre, the region contributes half of Vietnam’s rice output, 65percent of aquatic products and 70 percent of fruits. The region accounts for95 percent of the country’s rice export and 60 percent of total overseas shipmentof fish.  

However, 38 percent of the MekongDelta region is at risk of being underwater by the year 2100, with some partsof the coast facing erosion at a pace of 30m each year, according to officialstudies.

Furthermore, the protective mangrove forests arein considerable decline, and the intrusion of saltwater into ground water isbecoming a serious problem as it damages the fertile soil foragriculture. 

In addition, human activities in the region,such as clearing coastal forests, altering natural waterways, and adoptingintensive agriculture and aquaculture practices, are threatening the ability toprovide essential ecosystem services in the Mekong Delta.

Last year, Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc signed a resolution on sustainable development of the Mekong Delta aspart of an effort to cope with climate change.

Under the resolution, by 2100, the region’ssustainability would be ensured with high-quality agriculture, eco-tourism,services, and industry, especially the processing industry.  The latterwould increase the value and competitiveness of the area’s agriculturalproducts.

The infrastructure system of the delta wouldalso be greatly improved by that time.

By 2050, the Mekong Delta will aim to become aregion with "moderately good development and a modern social organisationlevel", according to the resolution. 

By that time, the income per capita of the deltawould be higher than the national average, while the proportion of ecologicalagriculture and high-quality applied agriculture would reach 80 percent.

Besides ensuring prosperity for local residents,sustainability would require the preservation of traditional and specialcultural values, and protection of land and water, according to the resolution.

The resolution includes solutions such as newlyestablished ecological sub-regions for agriculture and a master plan forsustainable development.-VNA