Decision No. 158/2008/QD-TTg on the Approval of the National Target Programme to Respond to Climate Change

The objectives of the program are the following: 1) to assess the extent and impacts of climate change in the country; 2) to work out and select climate change solutions; 3) to formulate a scientific and technological program on climate change; 4) to increase organizational capacity, institutions and policies on climate change; 5) to raise awareness and develop human resources; 6) to increase international cooperation; etc. 

The Programme specifies the following targets to be achieved by 2015:
 - Assessment of climate change extent and impacts in Vietnam
 o Update climate change scenarios, especially sea level rise
 o Complete assessment of climate change impacts, especially sea level rise, on fields, sectors and localities
 - Identification of measures to respond to climate change
 o Complete development of measures to respond to climate change for fields, sectors and localities
 o Start to implement selected measures to respond to climate change for fields, sectors and localities according to action plans
 - Development of a science and technology program on climate change
 o Complete and update the climate change database
 o Effectively implement the national science and technology programme on climate change in ministries, sectors and localities
 o Update and effectively implement research on nature, trend and scenarios of climate change impacts on sectors/regions and response measures, thus contribute to strengthening capacity to respond to climate change
 - Strengthening the capacities of organisation, institutions and policy on climate change
 o Promulgate, supplement and update legal documents, policies and mechanisms to respond to climate change
 o Identify mechanisms and policies to prioritise activities to respond to climate change
 o Review, supplement and perfect the mechanism for co-ordination among agencies responsible for climate change issues
 - Awareness raising and human resources development
 o Gradually and effectively implement climate change awareness raising plan at central and local levels
 o Complete, update and widely popularise materials and tools for raising awareness on climate change
 o Implement the awareness-raising plan and the human resources development plan in training and education system at all levels
 o Over 80% of communities and 100% of government staff will possess basic knowledge on climate change and its impacts
 - Enhancement of international co-operation
 o Complete and effectively implement the cooperation mechanism between Vietnam and international donors in implementing the NTP
 o Continue to expand bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Vietnam and other countries/international organizations to respond to climate change
 o Promote the role of Vietnam in regional and international negotiations and co-operation on climate change
 - Mainstreaming climate change issues into socio-economic, sectoral and local development strategies, plans and planning
 o Mainstream climate change issues into development plans for the period 2010-2020
 o Assess the results of the mainstreaming process applied for development plans for the period of 2010-2015
 o Widely and effectively implement the mainstreaming of climate change issues into development plans for later periods
 - Development of Action Plans of Ministries, sectors and localities to respond to climate change
 o Ministries, sectors, and localities initiate implementation of action plans to respond to climate change