Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan (right) meets with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra yesterday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Water Summit in Thailand. — VNA/VNS Photo Ha Linh BANGKOK (VNS) — Viet Nam is willing to co-operate with countries and exchange experiences in managing water resources and coping with natural disasters.
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan said this at the plenary session of the second Asia-Pacific Water Summit (APWS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, yesterday.
Nhan said Viet Nam, like other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, was facing great challenges in water security and natural disasters in the context of global climate change.
Natural disasters have claimed around 400 lives in Viet Nam and caused damage equal to 1.2 per cent of Gross Domestic Product each year over the past decade.
In efforts to cope with the challenges, Viet Nam has promulgated and implemented strategies on water security and water-related disaster prevention.
The Deputy Prime Minister called for the ratification of the UN Convention on the Law of International Water Resources Utilisation, strengthened co-operation and experience sharing in water resource management and exploitation, and a regional common strategy on water resource management towards a sustainable development goal.
He said that Viet Nam had actively co-operated in water resource management with countries sharing the same rivers, especially the Mekong.
Participants agreed on the need for a plan to handle the increased challenges posed by floods in the Asia-Pacific, the region most affected by natural disasters.
The summit issued a Chiang Mai declaration, indicating regional leaders’ interest in and commitment to the problem.
On the sidelines of the summit, Nhan paid a courtesy visit to Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. They agreed to reinforce a strategic partnership between the two countries, scheduled for this year. — VNS
Đăng ký: VietNam News