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The Environments of the Poor,

Climate Change and the Green Economy in Viet Nam
by : TRAN, Thi Thu Huong, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Government of Viet Nam

Background paper for Conference on: “The environment of the poor”, 24-26 Nov 2010, New Delhi

1. THE KEY ISSUES OF CLIMATE CHANGE INDUCED ENVIRONMENTS

OF THE POOR BY GEOGRAPHICAL AND ECOLOGICAL AREA
Vietnam is facing a number of impacts of climate change on many aspects, e.g. human
life, live hood, natural resources, social structure, infrastructures and economy. Vietnam is
considered as one among the countries most seriously impacted by climate change and sea level
rise.
The poorest, who commonly live in rural areas, are the most vulnerable people impacted
by climate change, especially poor people living along the coastal areas and high mountainous
areas. (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment 2008, p. 10-11)
The poor in Vietnam can be divided into three geographical groups such as:
- The chronic rural poor, notably in remote uplands who suffer unproductive and
degraded soils and inadequate water supplies, who lacks access to common property resources
such as forest, and who often are obliged to practice slash-burn cultivation (which yields only a
low income and can further degrade the environment). The poorest people in current measure are
in these regions.
- The coastal/delta poor who suffer environmental hazards unduly, notably floods; who
often have to make their living on coastal resources which have been degraded by others, for
example through industrial pollution; and who will be most vulnerable to fisheries losses and
climate change. The largest number of poor people is in these areas.
- The urban poor who suffer from a lack of access to clean water, sanitation and shelter,
weak rights to use these resources to generate live hoods, and a range of pollution problems. The
highest growth rate of poverty is expected to be into this category.
(IIED and UNDP 2009, p.12)
These poor communities are affected seriously by number of impacts of climate change
as they live in the regions that are most affected by climate change in Vietnam. Temperature
increase affects mountainous areas (Northern East, Western East and North Central part) and
Northern part delta. Sea level rise has impacts on coastal areas, especially deltas and flooded
areas (Mekong River delta, Red River delta and coastal central part), and islands. Floods, flash
floods, and land-slide affect coastal areas (including delta areas and flooded areas: delta and
coastal Northern part, Mekong river Delta and coastal central part), and mountainous areas
(Northern West, Northern East, North Central part and highlands). Tropical cyclones influence
coastal areas (especially coastal central part, Red river delta and Mekong river), and islands.
Droughts put at risk Central part (especially South Central part), delta and Northern part
midland, Mekong delta and highlands). (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment 2008,
p. 16)

2. GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES

To respond to these above issues, the Government of Vietnam has promulgated the
National target program to respond to climate change. This program is officially described as the
main framework for the management and coordination of climate change activities to achieve
sustainable development objectives in the future. Then many ministries have built their actions
plans to respond to climate change such as Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment,
Ministry of Agriculture and rural development, Ministry of Construction, and Ministry of
Industry and Trade. Besides, some provinces/cities have built their action plans to adapt to
climate change. The Government of Vietnam also invested more for institutional responses to
natural disasters (the key institution is Central Committee for flood and storm control). The
system of meteorology and hydrology are upgraded and renewed.
National strategies are designed to reduce the risk of disaster, and include a whole series
of mesures such as the establishment of disaster forecast centers across the country, the
construction of flood corridors, and awareness raising activities. However, these strategies focus
on emergency responses to short-term climate extremes and reconstruction after them, rather
than long-term adaptation to future climate change. They are also not integrated into wider
policies for sustainable rural development and poverty reduction. (Oxfam 2008, p. 49)
Moreover, many policies and programs are undertaken by the Government of Vietnam
such as credits, medical insurance, houses, schoolarships for the poor, and the National target
program to reduce the poor 2006-2010. So that the percentage of the poor in 2010 reduces at
around 9.5% (Ministry of Labour-Invalids and Social affairs 2010, p.1).
However, one of biggest challenges of Vietnam in facing with climate change is lack of
financial resource. The sorts of budgets that the national government and local authorities have at
their disposal for adaptation to climate change are clearly inadequate.
Besides climate change adaption policies and programs, the Government of Vietnam also
has undertaken climate change mitigation programs as followings:
- National Target Program on Energy Efficiency and Conservation (2006-2011)
 - Voluntary certificate : LOTUS Vietnam green rating tool
- Demand-supply management (DSM) programs
- Effective energy use in buildings
- Improvement of energy efficiency of enterprises
- Economical use of energy in transport sector
- Exploitation of new energy sources
- Cleaner production in industry 2020

3. OPPORTUNITIES OF GREEN GROWTH FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL

ECONOMY OF THE POOR
There has not been any deep research on opportunities of green growth for the
environmental economy of the poor in Vietnam yet but as the poor in other countries, the
stimulus packages for green growth gives the opportunities of employment to the poor in
Vietnam. However, it is short-term impact on employment; the long run impact on net
employment is uncertain across most green growth and needs deeper researches.
Revenues from carbon taxes or auctioned permits can be used for climate change
adaptation and mitigation initiatives in developing world in general and in Vietnam in particular.
So that it will help the poor in climate resilience.
Green growth in general will reduce the emission and save energies therefore it helps
reduce the impact of climate change and sustain the natural resources for the Poor’s life (as their
life are bases closely on natural resources and climate).
Some direct opportunities of growth green to the poor in Vietnam is that the reduction of
pollution from the industry will help the poor to reduce the risk to their production and their
health caused by polluted environment (e.g. fishes die because of polluted sewage from
industrial factories). One more opportunity is that the renewable energy such as solar power and
wind energy helps the poor in rural area where the national grid can not reach has electricity to
improve their living condition.
REFERENCES
1. Ministry of Labour-Invalids and Social affairs (2010): Report on the
implementation of Strategic Orientation on Sustainable Development in
Vietnam.
2. Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (2008): National Target
Program to respond to climate change.
3. Oxfam (2008): Vietnam: Climate Change Adaptation and Poor People.
4. IIED and UNDP (2009): Integrating environment and development in Vietnam:
Achievements, challenges and next steps.