On Thursday, Da Nang People's Committee Vice Chairman Dang Viet Dung played host to a group of leaders from the Nordic Development Fund (NDF), led by the Manager of the Nordic Climate Facility, Ms Emelie Moeller.

Ms Emelie Moeller (left) and Vice Chairman Dung

Vice Chairman Dung said, “Da Nang has been frequently affected by storms and floods due to the negative impacts of climate change.  Therefore, the city authorities have introduced numerous effective measures to help local residents better cope with natural disasters and overcome the consequences”.

The city leader took the opportunity to ask NDF and the US Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) to continue giving assistance to Da Nang in implementing local environmental projects and coping with climate change.

The host vowed that the city authorities would create very favourable conditions for NDF and ISET to operate effectively in the city.  In addition, he stressed the need for local relevant agencies to work closely with these foreign organisations in order to ensure the effective implementation of their funded projects in the city.

Ms Emelie Moeller remarked, “NDF has conducted numerous projects in Northern Europe and in many countries worldwide including Viet Nam.  In Viet Nam, NDF has helped Vietnamese localities, including Da Nang, implement the National Target Programme on Climate Change over the 2010 - 2014 period”.

She said that between 2016 and 2018, the focus will be on helping Vietnamese localities, including Da Nang, to implement a project to promote innovations in building resilient houses against climate change for the poor in Vietnamese urban areas.  Under the project, NDF will give financial assistance to help 100 poor families in Da Nang build new storm-resistant houses or reinforce their existing weak ones.