(VOVworld) – The National Climate Change Committee convened in Hanoi on Tuesday. Committee President, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said climate change response has become one of the long-term key tasks of the Vietnamese government. He said that unexpected effects of climate change such as drought in the central highlands and saltwater intrusion in the Mekong Delta are reducing Vietnam’s GDP and slowing down its economy. He asked relevant ministries and sectors to focus on climate change response, restructure the economy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

He assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to prepare a climate change scenario and rising seawaters in Vietnam in the coming years and assess the effects of climate change on a number of key areas, particularly agriculture and rural development. The Ministry was also asked to prioritize irrigation measures to save water for daily use and agricultural production in the Mekong Delta and the central highlands.