Climate change and its consequences for sustainable
urban development were assessed at a seminar that opened in Ha Noi
yesterday.
The Goethe
Institute Viet Nam's director Almuth Meyer-Zollitsch reminded the
gathering of German and Vietnamese policy makers, academics and
industry representatives that Viet Nam was likely to be one of the five
countries most affected by climate change.
It
would mean not only drought, flood, the devastation of agriculture and
shortages of food and energy, but also increased migration into cities,
he said.
The University
of Hamburg's Economic Geography Department's Dr Michael Waibel told the
seminar that climate change was no longer a distant possibility in Viet
Nam but a reality.
Climate change and urban development were closely linked and often interacted negatively, he warned.
"Urban sprawl has been identified as the most crucial cause for urban-related green house gas emissions," Dr Waibel said.
Strategic potential
But
the economist argued that climate change could become an opportunity
because the immense threat it posed might spur innovative governance
that bridged the divide between sectors and institutional fragmentation.
"A
restructuring towards a more energy-efficient and green economy would
also unleash the strategic potential of Viet Nam's global and regional
competitiveness, " he said.
The
Construction Ministry's Urban Development Department Deputy Director Do
Tu Lan explained the response of Viet Nam's coastal urban system to
climate change, especially in the major cities.
The
impact of climate change had been anticipated and mitigation measures
included the revision of regional planning, local adaptation and
international co-operation, he said.
The
Science and Technology Ministry's National Centre for Technological
Progress's Ngo Thi To Nhien said responses to climate change included
the application of solar energy to ensure energy security for
sustainable development in the major cities.
It also means the creation of new jobs and business opportunities.
Policy
recommendations included energy standards for public buildings - these
should be strictly enforced for government structures - and the
protection of consumers with certificates to renewable energy devices
of approved technical standards.
Special licences for contractors capable of "green" projects were also suggested.
Institute
of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning deputy director Le Thi Bich
Thuan complained that Viet Nam lacked environmentally-friendly
materials.
Specific
regulations governing construction licensing did not exist and the
energy efficiency of multi-storey and commercial buildings had not been
adequately addressed. "Viet Nam doesn't have laws and subordinate-law
documents for energy conservation and efficiency," she said.
"Viet
Nam does not have a specific mechanism for the promotion of green
buildings; the environmentally-friendly use of materials and uniform
and specific guidelines."
Stuttgart-based
companies Behnisch Architekten and Transsolar Climate Engineering
presented the "Energy Design Synergy" exhibition as part of yesterday's
session.
These included
international projects that used innovations to provide
ecologically-responsible construction and environmentally sound
architecture.
Today's session will include municipal adaptation to climate change and climate change education. — VNS