The United Nations will continue supporting the Vietnamese government in managing water and air resources for the present and future generations, said a UN representative.
Speaking at a meeting held in Hanoi on March 19 to mark the World Water Day (March 22) and the World Meteorological Day (March 23), Khatir Sanosh from the UNESCO Office in Vietnam said that Vietnam should have effective management mechanisms to involve the entire society, especially the agricultural, energy, trade and financial sectors, in order to implement the government’s commitment on protecting and managing the nation’s water and air resources.
Under the theme of “Weather, Climate and the Air We Breathe”, the 2009 World Meteorological Day aims to raise public awareness of the close tie between weather, climate and air as well as their impacts on human health.
Meanwhile, the 2009 World Water Day, themed “Sharing Water, Sharing Opportunities”, aims to call for the entire world to cooperate and share responsibilities in water management along river basins for the benefits of the present and future generations.
Over the past 50 years, average temperature in Vietnam has increased by 0.7 degree Celsius and the sea water level has risen 20cm. Scientists predicted that Vietnam’s average temperature may increase by 3 degrees Celsius while the sea water level may rise one metre by 2010.
These changes have resulted in increasing intensity, frequency and damaging level of natural disasters, including storms, floods and draughts. Their impacts on socio-economic development and people’s lives will be more serious, threatening the country’s sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts.
Being aware of the risk, Vietnam has implemented many synchronous measures, including coordinating with relevant countries in river management, integrating climate change issues into socio-economic development programmes, improving management agencies’ capacity and strengthening education campaigns to raise public awareness of climate change.
However, many agencies and people in Vietnam are yet to recognize the full risks posed by climate change for the living environment, particularly these related to the air, according to the National Centre for Hydrometeorology (NCH).
Recent local and international reports on the environment raised the alarm at air pollution in big cities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
“On the occasion, I want to direct the entire society’s attention to air protection in order for us to have a better living environment,” NCH General Director Bui Van Duc said on the sidelines of the meeting.