Hanoi (VNA) - A hybrid nationwide ceremony was held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to kick-start a series❀ of events to mark World Water Day, World Meteorological Day, and Earth Hour 2022, all to be celebrated ꦗthis month.

The March 23 ceremony brought together 63 cities and provinces and 400 international organisations, non-governmental organisations, diplomatic corps in Vietnam, Vietnamese ministries and agencies. Themes of World Water Day (March 22), World Meteorological Day (March 23) and Earth Hour 2022 are closely connected with each other as they all call for public attention and urge people to act immediately, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Tran Hong Ha said in his opening remarks. He underscored the necessity to further strengthen the forecasting and early warning systems to protect people’s well-being and property. Ha also discussed how to promote effective management and protection, and sustainable use of groundwater and water resources for the lives of today’s and tomorrow’s generations. He also raised awareness of energy efficiency for the sustainable future of the planet and humanity. He asked authorities at all levels to reinvent their mindsets in policy-making, with the development of the green economy and the circular economy taken into account, and urged people throughout the country to act together for a sustainable future. The event also honoured winners of a competition entitled “Hydro-meteorology in me” designed for secondary and high school students. This year’s theme of World Water Day is “Groundwater, making the invisible visible,” aiming to bring attention to the invisible yet impactful resource – groundwater – and its significance to agriculture, industry, ecosystem and climate change adaption. Themed “Early Warning and Early Action”, World Meteorological Day 2022 spotlights the vital importance of hydro-meteorological and climate information for disaster risk reduction. Earth Hour 2022’s theme is “Shape Our Future – It’s now or never.” It intends to raise public awareness of adapting to climate change and preventing loss of biodiversity. In response to the Earth Hour 2022, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is calling all people and organisations to switch off lights and non-essential electronic devices for an hour, from 8:30pm to 9:30pm, on March 26. A host of activities will be held to educate people on a green and healthy lifestyle and the harmful effects of illegal hunting and consumption of wildlife animals. Schools are asked to organise environmental awareness classes and relevant extracurricular activities. In his pre-recorded speech sent to the meeting, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasised important messages and strategic directions for hydrometeorology, water resource management and use, and climate change adaptation in the country. The State leader said that climate change, extreme natural disasters and scarcity of water resources have been occurring in all countries and regions worldwide, becoming serious challenges for the mankind. Global climate change has entered a new phase with increasingly severe impacts, he said, noting that Vietnam is one of the five countries most affected by climate change and sea level rise. He affirmed that the Party and State have paid special attention to hydrometeorological forecasting, water resource management, and climate change adaptation in recent years. The efforts have helped to improve the quality of hydro-meteorological forecasts, protect people's lives and assets, and minimise damage caused by natural disasters. He underlined the need to not only change public awareness and thinking, but also promptly transform those into actions to join hands to protect the environment, realise SDGs set in the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development by 2030, and the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The President called on the entire political system to participate in the implementation of the Party's resolutions on transforming the current fossil fuel-based economy to a digital economy with high resistance and low emissions, which focuses on green development. Each citizen should act more responsibly in using water resources in a smart and economical way, ensuring water security and water-based livelihoods, and protecting the environment, he said. It is time to take action to build a green Vietnam, the President stressed, calling for greater efforts of the community in this regard. He took the occasion to ask the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to continue perfecting legal frameworks and building specific policies on the topic. He made the point to encourage enterprises, organisations and individuals to invest in modernising and automating the national hydro-meteorological monitoring system and relevant infrastructure facilities, thus improving the quality of natural disaster forecasting and warning./.