Can Tho (VNA) – The Mekong Delta,the largest granary of Vietnam, must work for smart and sustainable agriculturewith high added values, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at the end of theConference on Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development of the Mekong Deltaheld in Can Tho on September 27.

He envisioned the Mekong Delta as an innovationvalley of a multifunctional agriculture with strong application of modernscience and technology which is highly adaptable to an environment of salinityand lack of fresh water and alluvium.

The PM outlined three main viewpoints on thedevelopment of the Mekong Delta, one of which is to facilitate the region’s sustainabledevelopment and prosperity via the proactively adapting to and turningchallenges into opportunities, thus ensuring stable lives for local people andpreserving traditional cultural values.

Secondly, it is necessary to shift the way ofthinking in agricultural development from mainly rice cultivation to anagricultural economy, from quantity to quality and from chemical-based  agricultural production to organic and hi-techpractice, he said, adding that attention should also be paid to processing andsupport industries. Thirdly, the PM said itis important to respect natural rules, thus selecting development modelsadaptive to natural conditions with minimum interference into nature.

[PM calls for foreign support for Mekong Delta development]

He said the Mekong Delta must strive to raisethe ratio of ecological and hi-tech agriculture in the regional economy to over80 percent and per capita GDP to 10,000 USD by 2050.

😼 PM Phuc suggested the region develop tourismbased on its specific natural and biological conditions and local culture, suchas garden, waterway tourism, and eco-tourism.

He said the constructionof coal-fired thermal power plants in the region should be limited to the best andencouraged the development of renewable energy which has large potential to tapin the Mekong Delta.

The Government leader suggested building adevelopment fund for the delta from various sources, adding that from now to2020, the region must disburse at least one billion USD and build cooperationmechanisms with countries and international organisations, especially theworld’s big deltas, to obtain their experience and technical support forclimate change adaptation.

He said the conference on the Mekong Delta willbe held at least once every two years to discuss specific measures to developthe region.

The PM concluded that ensuring livelihood forpeople is the core task of the Mekong Delta in the context of climate change.

ꦺ At the conference, German Ambassador to VietnamChristian Berger affirmed that his Government will closely work with Vietnam toaddress challenges in the Mekong Delta.-VNA