Responsibility of state agencies in adapting to climate change?

According to Article 90 of the Law on Environmental Protection 2020, the responsibilities of state agencies in adapting to climate change specifically include:

1. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall preside over and coordinate with ministries and ministerial-level agencies with the following responsibilities:

- This organization undertakes important tasks in carrying out key tasks to face the increasingly serious challenge of climate change. Specifically, they carry out:

+ Impact and risk assessment: The organization conducts detailed assessments of the impacts of climate change on different sectors, regions and communities. These assessments focus not only on measuring impacts but also on identifying vulnerabilities, risks, losses and damages that may arise. They develop climate change scenarios to reflect potential future changes, combined with socio-economic development forecasts to better understand the comprehensive impacts of climate change.

+ Develop and implement a monitoring system: The organization proposes and implements a rigorous monitoring system to track and evaluate the performance of climate change adaptation activities. This system not only helps measure the effectiveness of implemented measures but also provides data to adjust and optimize future adaptation strategies. They create indicators and evaluation criteria to measure the success of adaptation measures, including the ability to reduce risks and reduce losses due to climate change.

- National adaptation plan and periodic review: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall take the lead in proposing and coordinating with relevant ministries to submit to the Prime Minister for promulgation the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan. This plan is designed to cope with the increasing challenges caused by climate change, and is reviewed and updated periodically, every 5 years. The Ministry shall propose and manage the monitoring and evaluation system of climate change adaptation activities at the national level, to ensure effectiveness and flexible adaptation to environmental fluctuations.

- Guidelines for impact and risk assessment: The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment provides guidance on the process of assessing impacts, vulnerabilities, risks, losses and damages due to climate change. This lays the foundation for understanding and estimating factors affecting communities and the environment.

- Developing and implementing the national adaptation plan: The Ministry plays an important role in developing and implementing the National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, including proposing specific measures and adaptation strategies to address various challenges.

- Development and implementation of a monitoring system: The Ministry is the main driving force behind the development and implementation of a national climate change adaptation monitoring and evaluation system. This system not only helps track the progress of measures but also provides important information for rapid adjustment and improvement of adaptation strategies.

2. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial People's Committees have the following responsibilities:

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial People’s Committees hold important responsibilities in promoting and implementing climate change adaptation activities, reducing natural disaster risks and building adaptation models based on community solidarity and respect for ecosystems. Below is a detailed description of the important responsibilities they undertake:

- Climate change adaptation and response activities: Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and provincial People's Committees are responsible for planning and implementing climate change adaptation activities. This includes disaster risk reduction and developing adaptation models based on active interaction with communities and protecting local ecosystems. They implement specific measures to respond to sea level rise and urban flooding, in full compliance with the provisions of the Law and other relevant legal provisions. They organize quality assessments of impacts, vulnerability, risks, losses and damages caused by climate change. They synthesize these results annually and submit detailed reports to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

- Monitoring and evaluation at sectoral and local levels: Ministries and provincial agencies promote the development and implementation of a strict monitoring system to monitor and evaluate the performance of climate change adaptation activities. This system operates not only at the sectoral level but also at the local level, focusing on the management sector and profession of each sector.