Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Climate change is the biggest challenge to Vietnamand the agricultural sector, and farmers and the poor are the most vulnerable.In response, a number of measures have been taken by the country to mitigateclimate change.

Le Quoc Doanh, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made thisstatement at a workshop on research for the development of a climate-resilientSoutheast Asia held in Hanoi on November 28.

“Vietnam has implemented a programme to reduce greenhouse gases by 2020,” hesaid.

Doanh emphasised the need for concrete measures, focusing on forestry,cultivation and husbandry so farmers could see positive results from changes intechnology and farming practices. Only then could the efficiency of theprogramme be boosted.

Many new cultivation techniques adaptive to climate change have beentransferred to farmers including rice intensification systems, a water savingrice production technology and planting grass to prevent erosion as well asproviding food for cattle.

Studies have shown that good water management solutions lessen emissions ofmethane (CH4) by 25-30 percent while increasing rice productivity by 3-5 percent.

It is estimated that 65.3kg of greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced perhectare each year if farmers adopt water saving technology.

In husbandry, many families in rural areas are building biogas digesters tomanage waste and access clean energy. One digester produces enough methane toprovide energy for cooking. By reusing methane from the waste, biogas digestersreduce greenhouse gas emissions that is harmful to the environment and helpimprove living conditions of farmers.

However, experts have pointed out obstacles that hinder agriculturalproduction’s adaptation to climate change. For example, when farmers oftenhesitate to invest in new farming techniques, it would increase production costand slow the return of capital. Good production practices could increaseproductivity and income but could not help farmers escape poverty. Therefore,these practices should be supplemented by other interventions.

According to Leo Sebastian, regional programme leader of Climate Change,Agriculture and Food Security in Southeast Asia (CCAFS SEA), the workshop is agood platform to discuss with all stakeholders on how to integrate climatechange adaptation and mitigation in regional and national development plans.

Since its inception in Southeast Asia in 2013, CCAFS has been working with itspartners to integrate climate change adaptation and mitigation in regional andnational development plans with the goal of ensuring food security.

The Department of Crop Production under the Ministry of Agriculture and RuralDevelopment has worked with CCAFS in developing Climate-Smart Maps andAdaptation Plans (CS MAP) which is being implemented in 13 provinces in theMekong Delta in Vietnam.

CS MAP serves as a guide for provinces to develop their own risk maps andadaptive plans, which suit to their respective local contexts.

To serve as a testing ground for climate-smart agriculture (CSA), CCAFS pilotedthe Climate-Smart Villages (CSV) model across the region.

There are several CSVs in five Southeast Asian countries. Cambodia has one,Laos has two, Myanmar has four and the Philippines has one. Vietnam has threevillages in Yen Bai, Ha Tinh and Bac Lieu provinces.

In Southeast Asia, CSVs have brought evidence of the effectiveness of CSAtechnologies and practices.

The CSV model also provided the framework for establishing climate-resilientcommunities in the Philippines and Myanmar.

To pursue CCAFS’s vision for Southeast Asian agriculture, Sebastian said, moreresearch for development activities should be carried out responsive to theneeds of the countries in coping with climate change. — VNS/VNA