Vietnam

The Mekong Delta is set to face more extreme weather

asiapacificsd.iisd.org

20 March 2014: The values at risk in key livelihood sectors from predicted climate change impacts are estimated to be at least US$16 billion per year, according to the findings of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) 'Mekong ARCC Climate Change Impact and Adaptation Study.' The study, which was inspired by an International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) study, considers climate impacts on agriculture, fisheries, livestock, and rural infrastructure and health.

The study analyzes the potential magnitude of climate impacts in the Mekong delta with the aim of translating them to local communities and policymakers to support adaptation investment.

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Press Release and links to additional information
http://www.ciatnews.cgiar.org/2014/03/20/ciat-inspired-mekong-study-highlights-climate-concerns/

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and Dr. Dang Kieu Nhan, left, wave goodbye after Kerry spoke in Tan An Tay along the Mekong River Delta Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013.  (AP Photo/Brian Snyder, Pool) (The Associated Press)

nytimes.com - By Coral Davenport - January 2, 2014

As a young naval officer in Vietnam, John Kerry commanded a Swift boat up the dangerous rivers of the Mekong Delta. But when he returned there last month as secretary of state for the first time since 1969, he spoke not of past firefights but of climate change.

“Decades ago, on these very waters, I was one of many who witnessed the difficult period in our shared history,” Mr. Kerry told students gathered on the banks of the Cai Nuoc River. He drew a connection from the Mekong Delta’s troubled past to its imperiled future. “This is one of the two or three most potentially impacted areas in the world with respect to the effects of climate change,” he said.