In the afternoon of July 26, 2012, Prof.Dr Mai Trong Nhuan – VNU President and H.E. Mr. Stale Torstein Risa – Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam entered an MoU on Phase II of the program “Capacity Building and Technology Transfer for Mitigation of Geo-hazards in Vietnam in the Context of Climate Change”.
According to the estimation of the World Bank, Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to the effects of global climate change on inhabitants, GDP, urban areas, wetlands. Recognizing the serious and complicated impacts of the natural disasters, Phase I of the program on “Capacity Building for Mitigation and Adaptation of Geodisasters Related to Environment and Energy Development in Vietnam” was successfully conducted by Vietnam National University, Hanoi with the co-operation of partners inside and outside Vietnam and under the auspices of Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Within the scope of the program, more than 100 people from 11 agencies have received training, 25% of which are female and 20 people have participated in training courses in Norway. With the support from Norwegian experts, the capacity of VNU staffs has been improved so that they can independently conduct investigation, assessment, mitigation of geo-hazards using modern technological equipment and procedures.
Prof.Dr. Mai Trong Nhuan stated that, the results of the program had contributed to building geo-disaster maps related to landslides in Bac Kan, depression and floods in Hanoi and in the lower sector of Cua Dat hydropower, as well as erosion in the coastal zone of Red River delta. These researches had become vanguard in evaluating the vulnerability of the socio-natural system, economic losses and risks caused by geo-hazards, providing a reliable basis to put forward appropriate strategies for mitigating consequences of geo-hazards, serving sustainable socio- economic development in Vietnam.
On behalf of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Stale Torstein Risa showed his pleasure of attending the signing ceremony and working with VNU as well. He stated that Norway always gave priority to climate change and disasters mitigation. Norway supported several countries including China, Bangladesh, and Vietnam by sharing the general knowledge and experience for increasing the understandings about disasters. Also, he claimed that researching and strengthening capacity in mitigating of geo-hazards in Vietnam had obtained certain achievements, yet limitations remained. Norway would help build capacity and provide technical support for Vietnamese members to reach better results in the future.
Also at the ceremony, the two sides came to an agreement that basing on the results of Phase I, further intensive researches would be needed, focusing on geo-hazards as a result of large hydroelectric works and climate change. The second phase of the program would concentrate on the transfer of modern technology in survey, field measurements, digital models, geo-disaster risk evaluation as well as staff-student exchange. This would be an essential step to deal with the most serious environmental problem – climate change, under the specific socio-economic and natural condition of Vietnam as well as to contribute to the successful implementation of the international standard graduate program related to the field of geo-disasters mitigation at VNU.
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