HCM CITY 鈥� 听Improved linkages听with听international organizations are needed to hasten听the progress of听 HCM听City鈥檚听climate-adaptation听action programs.
The workshop,听organized by the city鈥檚 Department of Natural Resources and Environment听in collaboration with the C40 Cities听Climate Leadership Group,听assessed听the status of the city鈥檚 programs听and听received suggestions from experts on the听city鈥檚听new Climate Action Plan for the听2020-30 period.
Mai Tuan Anh,听head of the department鈥檚听Hydrometeorology and Climate Change Division, said that听long-term听climate-change response tasks were being carried out听with the support of international organizations such as C40 and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
Within the framework of a letter of intent on cooperation听with C40, the city has听committed to promoting action听in听response听to听climate change.
鈥淎ppropriate climate-change听response policies in urban areas will听help save听billions of dollars annually,鈥� Anh said.
鈥淔or example, power-saving activities of听businesses and听households help听reduce听greenhouse gas emissions, while听policies on developing public transport limit听chronic听exposure to air pollution and reduce the number of traffic accidents.鈥�
Ho Quoc Bang, director of the Air Pollution and Climate Change Research Centre under the Vietnam National University鈥揌CM City, said that extreme weather听events, such as heavy rains and extreme temperatures, were听affecting people鈥檚 health as well as听economic development and tourism in the city.
More than 20 climate-change adaptation projects had received assistance from international groups, but they听had not met demand for several听reasons.
鈥淔inancial problems, difficulties with administrative procedures, and limited capacity of human resources in implementation听are among the main reasons,鈥� he said.
He said听the city should听make plans for the rational use of land, water and energy resources, and develop waste treatment and public transport means using听advanced, eco-friendly听and听energy-saving technologies.
The density of听urban green spaces should also be increased, he said.
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Climate action plan
Nguyen Trong Nghia, a policy and planning expert at听RCEE-NIRAS JSC, said the city鈥� climate action plan identified听priorities in 10听fields, including urban planning, energy, transportation, industry, water management, waste management, construction, health, agriculture and tourism.
鈥淭he city has combined its policies with听solutions in听other localities, and developed linkages among sectors to cope with climate change,鈥� he said.
The C40 group said听the听city should听focus on reducing emissions听from electricity production, increase energy听savings in buildings, develop听public transport, improve solid waste management, and upgrade听water drainage听and water supply systems.
Environmental sanitation and听natural听disaster prevention were also important, it said.
Joselito Guevarra, head of C40鈥檚 Climate Action Planning in听Southeast Asia, said Vietnam,听Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand听were the countries in Southeast Asia most听affected听by听climate change.
鈥淭he impact of climate change听can听affect听people鈥檚 lives and听food security听in the region,鈥� he said.
With the assistance of C40, he said he hoped听that HCM City鈥檚 new Climate Action Planning would听be completed soon.
After 14 years, the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group now connects more than 90 of the world鈥檚 greatest cities and urges them to take bold climate action, leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future.
Five cities in Southeast Asia (Hanoi, HCM City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Quezon) have committed to C40鈥檚 Deadline 2020 Programme听and have agreed to adopt ambitious, evidence-based climate action plans, as well as to speed up听transformative climate actions.
The Deadline 2020听report sets out the critical role that the world鈥檚 major cities play in delivering the historic Paris Agreement to prevent catastrophic climate change.
To support this process, C40 has initiated a Climate Action Planning (CAP) program in the region听which provides expert technical assistance, capacity building, and an embedded City Advisor to provide coordinating capacity in each participating city.
The HCM City鈥檚 CAP program is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs,听while Hanoi鈥檚 CAP program is funded by the UK听government鈥檚 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.