At the signing ceremony (Photo: kinhtevadubao.vn)
The MoU was signed by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh and the USAID’s Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock.
The recent 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) meetings in Glasgow, the UK, aimed to accelerate humanity’s cooperation on climate change and underscored the importance of collective action to preserve and protect the environment and planet, Yastishock said at the ceremony.
The US agency welcomes the commitments made by Vietnam’s Prime Minister at COP26, and is ready to support Vietnam to reach these important goals. This MoU will help facilitate the effective collaboration between USAID and MoNRE on climate change and environmental pollution and take us one step closer to bringing greater environmental awareness and change for Vietnam’s citizens and economy, she added.
With its long and densely populated coast, Vietnam has been ranked by the World Bank as among the top five countries likely to be most affected by climate change. A high proportion of the country’s population and economic assets are located in coastal lowlands and deltas, which are subject to frequent typhoons, floods, droughts, and landslides.
In addition, Vietnam faces a series of environmental pollution challenges largely spurred by agriculture, transportation, and industry.
The USAID’s collaboration with the MoNRE will focus on air quality management; integrated water resource management and water security; conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; ocean plastic, solid waste management and recycling; and reduction of emissions responsible for climate change.
Over the past five years, the USAID has been working closely with Vietnam to foster collective action by local actors to raise awareness of the causes and effects of environmental pollution challenges, and to increase knowledge of effective strategies for reducing environmental pollution.
