Vietnam

A somewhat contrarian piece of research suggests agriculture in Asia could benefit from climate change. Following numerous doom-laden reports on the effects of extreme weather conditions on populations and economies in the region, scientists from the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) have predicted increased rainfall and temperature due to climate change could bring benefits to south-east Asian agriculture. This contradicts the more common expectations that a warmer planet will reduce agricultural productivity in the region.

Vietnamese experts have once again called for a moratorium on dam building on the Mekong River yesterday, saying the lives of as many as 60 million people would be adversely impacted. This comes on the heels of a report by Reuters that work had resumed on the most controversial of the 11 dams now under consideration for the mighty Mekong, the USD3.5 million Xayaburi Dam in Laos, despite assurances from the Laotian government to the contrary.

Managing Vietnam's solid waste in an environmentally-friendly way is a national priority, according to Minister of the Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang.

Recent official statements from Vietnam indicate the country is becoming increasingly aware of the environmental dangers facing it, but is unsure of the best way to tackle the problems.Prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung has publicly called on the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE) to improve the legal framework and efficiency of state management when it comes to exploiting environmental resources.

The Embassy of Finland in Vietnam launched a project to back Vietnam's central Quang Tri province to deal with climate change's impacts in agricultural production, Vietnam’s state-run news agency reported on Tuesday.