Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) to strengthen relations with Ho Chi Minh City in climate changeadaptation. The Dutch official spoke with Viet Nam News about the tiesbetween the two cities.
Q: Could you tell us about the new MoUbetween Rotterdam and HCM City and the status of the climate-changeplan. What has been accomplished and what will be done in the years tocome?
A: Rotterdam has been supporting HCM City since2009 by sharing its own knowledge and experience regarding climateresilience, and in particular by helping HCM City develop an integratedClimate-Change Adaptation Strategy. Since 2013 Rotterdam has beenhelping the city to mainstream the key strategy principles into plans,procedures and projects and, very importantly, applying them to people.
Thecurrent phase of the partnership involves capacity-building of stafffrom relevant departments and districts. It also includes furtherdetailing adaptation measures for specific districts. In the next phaseof the cooperation, Rotterdam is offering help to find external fundingfor implementation of adaptation projects. It will also share itsexpertise on developing a Resilience Strategy, which includes, amongother things, vulnerability assessments of vital infrastructure.
Q: How will the new agreement help combat the effects of climate change in Vietnam?
A:Rotterdam hopes to be able to help the city obtain more externalfunding for the implementation of adaptation measures. That way,implementation can be speeded up. Also, by sharing Rotterdam's lessonslearned, HCM City can move more quickly, too.
Q: What are Vietnam's threats and priorities related to climate change?
A:Key threats and priorities are: rise in temperature, leading to highertemperatures in the city and deterioration of air and water quality; sealevel rise, leading to increased flood risk and salt intrusion; changein precipitation, leading to increased nuisance from extreme rainfall;and change in river runoff, leading to an increase in floodingfrequency. Please note that land subsidence is also a serious problemwhich is not climate change related, but does increase flood risks.
Q: Can you give us some outstanding examples of climate-change adaptation measures?
A:In Rotterdam we like to experiment with solutions that have as manybenefits as possible and that can be fully integrated in our urbanlandscape. For example, we created the world's first water square thatcombines a playground with water storage. And a parking garage with anunderground water basin. And a multifunctional levee, with shops atstreet level and a lovely park on the top of a floating conferencecenter. I think the best solutions make the city more resilient andattractive at the same time. I believe HCM City has a lot of potentialto become a unique climate-resilient delta city.
Q: How can we raise awareness of each individual's responsibility in tackling global problems?
A:The media can play a role in increasing awareness. Moreover, schoolscan play a role in educating children, who will then tell their parents.Another way is community involvement: by involving people in adaptationprojects, they become more aware of the problems and may want tocontribute themselves.-VNA
Q: Could you tell us about the new MoUbetween Rotterdam and HCM City and the status of the climate-changeplan. What has been accomplished and what will be done in the years tocome?
A: Rotterdam has been supporting HCM City since2009 by sharing its own knowledge and experience regarding climateresilience, and in particular by helping HCM City develop an integratedClimate-Change Adaptation Strategy. Since 2013 Rotterdam has beenhelping the city to mainstream the key strategy principles into plans,procedures and projects and, very importantly, applying them to people.
Thecurrent phase of the partnership involves capacity-building of stafffrom relevant departments and districts. It also includes furtherdetailing adaptation measures for specific districts. In the next phaseof the cooperation, Rotterdam is offering help to find external fundingfor implementation of adaptation projects. It will also share itsexpertise on developing a Resilience Strategy, which includes, amongother things, vulnerability assessments of vital infrastructure.
Q: How will the new agreement help combat the effects of climate change in Vietnam?
A:Rotterdam hopes to be able to help the city obtain more externalfunding for the implementation of adaptation measures. That way,implementation can be speeded up. Also, by sharing Rotterdam's lessonslearned, HCM City can move more quickly, too.
Q: What are Vietnam's threats and priorities related to climate change?
A:Key threats and priorities are: rise in temperature, leading to highertemperatures in the city and deterioration of air and water quality; sealevel rise, leading to increased flood risk and salt intrusion; changein precipitation, leading to increased nuisance from extreme rainfall;and change in river runoff, leading to an increase in floodingfrequency. Please note that land subsidence is also a serious problemwhich is not climate change related, but does increase flood risks.
Q: Can you give us some outstanding examples of climate-change adaptation measures?
A:In Rotterdam we like to experiment with solutions that have as manybenefits as possible and that can be fully integrated in our urbanlandscape. For example, we created the world's first water square thatcombines a playground with water storage. And a parking garage with anunderground water basin. And a multifunctional levee, with shops atstreet level and a lovely park on the top of a floating conferencecenter. I think the best solutions make the city more resilient andattractive at the same time. I believe HCM City has a lot of potentialto become a unique climate-resilient delta city.
Q: How can we raise awareness of each individual's responsibility in tackling global problems?
A:The media can play a role in increasing awareness. Moreover, schoolscan play a role in educating children, who will then tell their parents.Another way is community involvement: by involving people in adaptationprojects, they become more aware of the problems and may want tocontribute themselves.-VNA
