Germany has pledged to work with Vietnam to boost co-operation in water and environmental related studies in the face of global climate change, as well as to address challenges of the 21st century. 

The commitment was made by Ulrich Katenkamp, head of the Sustainable Development and Natural Resources Department under the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, at a workshop in Hanoi, on April 5, on the need for further research to be made into water, natural resources and sustainable development in Vietnam.

Deputy Minister of Science and Technology Tran Quoc Khanh said that the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation in water and environment-related scientific research in October 2005, opening up a new chapter for the two ministries to strengthen coordination in water resource management, environmental protection and sustainable development.

According to Khanh, within the framework of the MoU, a large number of projects have been carried out and produced positive results, which has contributed to Vietnam’s socio-economic development.

He noted that Vietnam is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Long-lasting drought and saline intrusion in the Mekong Delta is seriously affecting the lives of local residents.

fore, the workshop provided a chance for managers, scientists and businesses from Vietnam and Germany to exchange notes on the research co-operation programme carried out since 2005, in order to further improve the implementation of future programmes, which will thus help in coping with priority issues such as drought and saltwater intrusion.

Source: Nhan dan