Hanoi (VNA) – Measures to enhanceregional connectivity in the Mekong Delta, which is important to Vietnam’seconomy but also a region highly susceptible to effects of climate change, werediscussed at a workshop in Hanoi on December 19.

The Mekong Delta is the southernmost region with12 provinces and one centrally-run city. It accounts for 12 percent of thesurface area and over 19 percent of the population of Vietnam.

With over 700km of coastline and a dense riverand canal network, the delta is strongly influenced by tidal waves and theMekong River.

Deputy Minister of Planning and InvestmentNguyen Van Hieu said that effective regional connectivity and coordination are crucialto the harmonious and sustainable development of the region. They will helpdeal with conflicts during the development process and ensure the harmony ofboth short- and long-term interests, he said.

Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Department forLocal and Regional Economy under the Ministry of Planning and Investment, saidthe Mekong Delta holds a particularly important role in the management and useof water resources, economic development, the settlement of social issues, and incoping with major challenges like climate change.

Its regional connectivity has received muchattention due to the sensitivity of local natural and social systems toenvironmental changes and the accumulative impacts of economic activities inthe region.

Dong added that the localities have also expressedtheir wishes of boosting connectivity. As such, the Mekong Delta became thefirst and only of the six socio-economic regions in Vietnam to pilot regionalsocio-economic development connectivity under the Prime Minister’s Decision No.593/QD-TTg,issued in April 2016.

Bui Quang Tuan, Director of the VietnamInstitute of Economics, said that connectivity effectiveness in the MekongDelta remains modest. For the most part, localities have only just signed cooperationdocuments. They still lack coordination in investment promotion andagricultural production, while the region’s information database has yet to bearranged in a way that can serve connectivity.

According to Dong, to develop regionalconnectivity, the localities need to be aware that the purpose of this work isto optimise resources to serve development. They should devise a coordinationmechanism to ensure a ‘common voice’ is fostered and associate each party’sinterests with common interests. The localities also need to ensure financialresources for connection activities.

World Bank Country Director in Vietnam OusmaneDione said the Mekong Delta is now at an important turning point ofdevelopment, adding that strong coordination is critical to the region’ssustainable development.

Echoing the view, Acting Ambassador of Australiato Vietnam Justin Baguley said that developing the economy, adapting to climatechange, and developing regional infrastructure in the Mekong Delta require astrong inter-regional coordination mechanism for all relevant provinces,ministries, and sectors.

Dutch expert Tanya Huizer suggested that aparticular law should be built for the Mekong Delta, while Bui Quang Tuancalled for a regional coordination council to be set up to enhance the combinedstrength of the whole region.–VNA