Conference focuses on climate change

A three-day conference on developing towns that are well adapted to face climate change challenges opened on March 13 in Mekong Delta's Can Tho City.

Organised by the Can Tho City People's Committee and the Can Tho University, the conference brought together 90 experts and officials, 33 of them from Eastern Asian countries, the US and Russia.

Participants will discuss policies for climate change adaptation, practical actions and construction ideas at grassroots and national levels for each country.

The progress thus far made on climate change adaptation by Can Tho City will be reported at the conference.

The city is co-operating with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation on finding ways to ensure sustainable urban development amidst climate change challengers during the 2011-15 period.

Conference participants will go on a field trip to study the impacts of climate change in the city as well as tasks undertaken in the region to adapt to the phenomenon.

Information collected from the conference will be sent to the Australian Agency for International Development and Australian Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Community for building programmes and projects for climate change adaptation in East Asia.

A similar conference organised with support from Australia-based CSIRO- SEWPaC is also being held in Indonesia's MaKassar City.