Climate change is already affecting Vietnam

The weather is unpredictable and complicated, but many people are still indifferent that the impact of climate change is far from reaching us. Dang Hung Vo warns.

The following is an exchange between Mr. Dang Hung Vo, former deputy minister of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment about the impact of recent extreme weather conditions, and his love. needs to be more alert to climate change.

- Do you think hydroelectricity is a cause of recent large floods in the Central region?

- There are 2 factors that cause heavy rain and frequent storms in recent times. In which, the main cause is due to climate change, while human impact is only one factor that makes floods stronger. For example, if the forest is not destroyed, the water will return more slowly. But due to deforestation, the amount of water poured in faster and stronger. Or if the flood regulation is good, it will limit the flow of flood water.

Having the impact of two factors, natural disasters and man-made disasters, the flood damage is stronger.

- More specifically, how does the flood discharge from Song Hinh and Ba Ha river hydropower plants affect?

The planning work in general, but in particular, the planning of hydropower networks is not good at present. When receiving and allowing investment projects, we have not yet seen the context in its maximum state. It is the impact of natural floods and flood discharges from hydropower plants to protect dams. Thus, in a flood state that is already strong one will increase the destructive power two to three times.

The development of small and medium hydroelectricity is very meaningful, taking advantage of water in places where energy problems are solved. The most important thing is to calculate so that there is no resonance of the discharge water from the hydropower reservoir at the same time as the natural flood. This resonance problem must be included in the general programming problem.

The recent heavy rains and floods in the North Central and South Central regions are the best evidence. Small and medium hydroelectric power plants discharge floods at the same time as the natural flood water, creating a much larger flood intensity and people can't bear it.

- Does that mean that Vietnam has not planned or studied the resonance of floods in the process of calculating and building hydropower plants?

- To plan a small and medium hydropower network in an area, it is necessary to set up a detailed geographic information system that accurately informs that area , then align the hydroelectric plants into the geographic information system. Given a hypothetical flood analysis problem such as: this lake discharges an amount of water, the other lake discharges an amount of water, how does the flood resonate? From here, we know how to install the hydroelectric power plant, and when can release the flood.

In Vietnam, I'm 100% sure not to do this. We consider many aspects in the planning, but from another angle such as how to make use of water in the flood season, whether there is any damage to the environment, whether it will cause any harm to nature and biodiversity. not from the perspective of the disaster that the flood can cause, nor the problem of floodwater resonance has not been considered.

- Thus, should the construction of hydroelectric plants be abandoned at present?

- Around the issue of hydroelectricity, world scientists have given different opinions. Some people think it is clean, zero-emission energy. Some people also say that the waste in the lake bed through the decomposition of plants and trees is more harmful than thermal power, causing a large greenhouse effect, so don't say hydroelectricity is clean energy. Therefore, many countries recommend not to do hydropower.

In Vietnam, it is necessary to look more closely to have a master plan, to carefully study and consider the negative impacts of hydropower on the development of the country and region. hydroelectricity should be built, which areas should not, hydropower development goes hand-in-hand with sustainability, where hydroelectric efficiency should be done, consider how much hydroelectricity contributes to solving energy problems.

- Recently, Vietnam has faced many fierce weather fluctuations. How does this relate to global climate change?

- The problem of climate change, Vietnam has thought about but not very deeply. Many people think that climate change is just sea level rise. Even being subjective and indifferent is that every year the water rises by 1cm, it is still far from "our house"; and then the forecasts will not affect the Mekong Delta until 2050. Those are all streams of thinking that disregard climate change.

In fact, it's different, climate change has affected everywhere in our country. That is the anomaly and increasing intensity of storms and floods, which are tidal regime changes that make HCMC overflow with river water, causing flooding. North Central The Ministry just flooded, the South Central region flooded again. Forecast risks Central Central region is also threatened by heavy rain in the near future. Historically so far, the phenomenon of large and continuous floods has rarely occurred. In previous years, in the central region, each year only one or two provinces were heavily flooded such as Hue or Da Nang. But up to now, storms have formed many, continuously with greater destructive power throughout the Central region. The unprecedented prolonged drought in the North has recently occurred. All are consequences of climate change.

- There are many opinions that need to change the climate change scenario in Vietnam?

That's right. The weather is complicated, unpredictable, and faster than we expected. As mentioned above, everyone thinks that the predictions will not come, but in fact, the signs of climate change have come very quickly and strongly. Me According to information from the Center for Hydrometeorology, the flood has not ended this year but will continue. At this time, Vietnam needs to take joint action with the world, come up with solutions to adapt to reduce the impact of climate change.

- In the long run, in your opinion, what should be done to mitigate natural disasters?

The climate change happens unexpectedly. Abnormalities in rain, rain regime, storms are very difficult to combat, but can only think of mitigation options.

Specifically, wanting to fight has to go from greenhouse gas emissions, campaigning globally for industrial development but not harm, but this requires time. a long time.

At the same time, people need to learn to adapt and do the best they can, such as planning a reasonable irrigation reservoir, discharging floods according to the schedule. agree to not make the water flow resonate with each other, do not cut down the forest, the flood will return more slowly. It is necessary to have the best idea to avoid the impact of floods.

Also, it is possible to dig reservoirs along the road to contain floods, avoid flood intensity too strong for residents, or arrange hydropower reservoirs that can store water. . Another scientific measure, but requires greater investment, is to build stations to notify about floods, channels, analyze flood terrain or follow which way.
Do Khac Luan