National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) and representatives of Asian-Pacific parliaments visit an area affected by climate change in Can Gio district, HCM City (Photo: VNA)
Joining the trips, which formed part of an IPU symposium on response to climate change, were Vietnam’s National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, IPU President Saber Chowdhury, IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong, and about 200 representatives from the parliaments of 24 regional countries and international organisations.
The delegates visited Dan Xay residential area, which is often inundated by tidal surges and has been suffered from land erosion. Although the area is part of the Can Gio protective forest – a world biosphere reserve, unplanned land reclamation for house building there has influenced the recovery and development of the submerged forest ecosystem.
The parliamentarians were briefed on to HCM City’s response to the problem, which is resettling households to safer places. The resettlement is meant to protect the Can Gio forest while improving local residents’ material and spiritual life.
After visiting the Dan Xay residential area, participants planted trees at an area zoned off for building the Rung Sac Cultural Park in Can Thanh town of Can Gio district.
Speaking at the tree planting ceremony, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee Le Thanh Liem said climate change is a major challenge for the world in the 21st century. HCM City has been well aware of climate change impacts and has taken many solutions such as afforestation and forest protection to mitigate climate change’s negative impacts on the local people’s life and socio-economic development.
The 50 bang vuong (Barringtonia asiatica) trees planted during the event are adaptive to drought and other severe climate conditions, he noted.
Applauding HCM City’s organisation of the tree planting event, IPU President Saber Chowdhury said the IPU symposium on climate change response for the parliaments in the Asia-Pacific region is not simply a dialogue but also demonstrates legislators’ actions in the face of climate change.
Planting trees is an investment in the future and will enrich the ecosystem and reduce the emission of CO2 and other greenhouse gases, he said, expressing his hope that each delegate would promote tree planting in their countries./.