Climate change costs Vietnam 15 bn USD annually

Climate change has cost Vietnam 15 billion U.S. dollars per year, equal to 5 percent of the country's GDP, local Dan Tri newspaper reported on Friday, quoting results of a survey by DARA International, a member of the Climate Change Working Group. According to DARA International's research on vulnerable climate change in 2012, the damage to Vietnam's seafood sector due to climate change ranks top. Nguyen Quang Thanh, member of the Live & Learn Center, said without effective and urgent measures taken, the impact caused by climate change will likely cost Vietnam more, up to more than 11 percent of its GDP by 2030. DARA International's report revealed that the sea water rising costs Vietnam about 4 billion U.S. dollars per year. Specifically, damages to the production input annually reach 8 billion dollars, to the fishery sector with 1.5 billion dollars and to agriculture with 0.5 billion dollars. Greenhouse emission in Vietnam reaches 3.5 tons per person in 2010 and is estimated to retain below 4 tons per person by 2020. Meanwhile, air pollution led to 10,000 casualties in 2010, which would rise to more than 60,000 by 2030, said the report. The report also pointed out the necessity to enhance public awareness of climate change as well as measures to encourage innovations and actions in minimizing its impacts.