Resolution No.120/NQ-CP dated November 17, 2017 of the Government on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta

RESOLUTION

On sustainable and climate-resilient development of
the Mekong River delta[1]

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the June 19, 2015 Law on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 24-NQ/TW of June 3, 2013, of the Party Central Committee of the XI^thtenure, on proactive resilience to climate change and strengthening natural resources management and environmental protection;

Pursuant to the Political Bureau’s Conclusion No. 28-KL/TW of August 14, 2012, on orientations, tasks and solutions for socio-economic development and assurance of security and national defense of the Mekong River delta region through 2020;

Based on the outcomes of the Conference on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta, held on September 26-27, 2017; and discussions and votes of the cabinet members at the Government’s September 2017 regular meeting,

RESOLVES:

The Mekong River delta is a large land area which makes up 12% of the land area and 19% of the population of the whole country with a dense network of rivers, canals and ditches. It has advantages for developing agriculture, food industry, tourism and renewable energy. It is the biggest agricultural production center in Vietnam with its contributions equal to 50% of rice output, 65% of aquaculture output, 70% of different types of fruits, 95% of rice export volume and 60% of fish export volume of the whole country. It has a convenient location for trade with ASEAN and Mekong Sub-region members.

Over the past years, the Party and State have issued many guidelines and policies, and taken many solutions to promote potential and advantages and create motivation for socio-economic development of the Mekong River delta. This region has seen remarkable developments and huge and significant achievements, especially in the field of agriculture and rural areas. Infrastructure has been gradually invested in a synchronous manner to better serve socio-economic activities and constantly improve people’s lives. The region has been proven to be a leading center for producing and exporting rice, aquatic products and fruit trees in the whole country, contributing to ensure food security and bring significant foreign-currency revenues to serve the national development.

In the context of globalization and international integration, the Mekong River delta has many opportunities for development but is also encountering many challenges because this region is sensitive to natural changes. Climate change and sea level rise happen faster than predicted, causing extreme weather phenomena which affect people’s livelihood and lives. The exploitation of water resources in the upstream Mekong River delta, especially the construction of hydropower dams, has changed the flow, reduced the alluvial deposit and aquatic resources, caused saltwater intrusion further in the region, and adversely impacted socio-economic development of the region. Intensive economic development activities in this region have increasingly revealed severe drawbacks, causing such consequences as environmental pollution, serious ecological imbalance, land subsidence, decline in the ground water level, and coastal erosion; many natural forest areas, particularly mangrove forests, cajeput forests and protection forests, have been cut down, used for other purposes or severely degraded. Moreover, overexploitation of sediment and construction of houses and infrastructure facilities close to river banks, canals and ditches have increased the risk of landslide.

Meanwhile, state management work in several sectors and decentralization of powers between local and central authorities still see overlaps and lack close cooperation; coordination mechanisms for development of the Mekong River delta region remain ineffective. The implementation of the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 593/QD-TTg of April 6, 2016, promulgating the Regulation on pilot association in socio-economic development of the Mekong River delta region during 2016-2020 has been delayed; the master plan on socio-economic development of the Mekong River delta and master plans on development of sectors, fields and localities are not comprehensive and feasible enough; they lack connectivity for the entire region and have no close connection with Ho Chi Minh City, the southern key economic region and the Mekong Sub-region. The mobilization and use of resources for development investment remain limited. The education level and the ratio of applying advanced science and technology in the region are lower than the average level of the whole country; the quality of education and healthcare has not satisfied requirements; high-quality human resources tend to move to other localities.

This reality requires a new vision, strategic orientations, and comprehensive, fundamental and synchronous solutions in order to mobilize to the utmost resources and participation of different economic sectors for sustainable development of the Mekong River delta.

1. Vision and objectives

a/ Vision toward 2100

The Mekong River delta will develop sustainably, safely and prosperously on the basis of appropriate development of high-quality commodity agriculture in combination with services, eco-tourism and industry, focusing on the processing industry, raising the value and competitiveness of agricultural products. The region’s complete and modern infrastructure system will be built, which will become smart, resilient to climate change and safe against disasters; natural resources will be rationally used; biodiversity and historical-cultural traditions will be preserved and developed; and people’s material and spiritual lives will be improved.

b/ Objectives toward 2050

- The Mekong River delta will become a region with a rather high development level in the country and an advanced social organization level; per-capita income will be higher than the national average level, ensuring people’s livelihood; the ratio of eco-agriculture and hi-tech agriculture will account for over 80%, and forest coverage will reach over 9% (against the current 4.3%), and important natural ecosystems will be conserved and developed.

- The socio-economic infrastructure network will be built to be complete and modern. Modern urban systems will be built and rationally distributed in sub-regions. The road and waterway systems will be developed in a synchronous manner and ensure inner-region and inter-region connectivity which are harmonious, uniform, helpful and conflict-free with the system of hydraulic works and dikes. The hydraulic work infrastructure will be built to be complete and suitable to the model of transforming agricultural production for climate change resilience in ecological sub-regions and, at the same time, effective solutions will be worked out for prevention and mitigation of risks for people and the economy when disasters occur. Information and communications infrastructure, electricity supply and water supply and drainage networks will be built in a complete manner. The system of cultural, education and training, science and technology institutions, healthcare, and physical training and sports facilities will be more developed than those in other regions of the whole country; the economy will be developed dynamically and effectively with a suitable economic structure.

2. Guiding viewpoints

a/ To ensure sustainable development and prosperity on the basis of proactive resilience and promoting potentials and strength and turning challenges into opportunities for development, ensuring stable and well-off lives for the people and conserving typical traditional cultural values of the Mekong River delta. To attach importance to the development of land, water and especially people;

b/ To change the development thinking from pure agricultural production, particularly rice production, to the development of a diversified agricultural economy, meeting the market’s demand, changing from quantity-based development to quality-based development. To build a new countryside together with vigorously developing hi-tech agriculture, organic agriculture and clean agriculture with the value chain and trademark building. To attach importance to the development of the processing industry and supporting industry associated with the development of agricultural economy. Agricultural products will be used not only to ensure food security but also have high nutritional value, serving disease prevention and treatment work and creation of famous trademarks;

c/ To respect for natural rules, ensure suitability to reality and avoid over-intervention into the nature. To choose a nature-based, environment-friendly resilience model ensuring sustainable development on the principle of ready to live with floods, inundation, blackish water and salt water. To study and formulate scenarios and take solutions for effectively coping with disasters such as storms, floods, drought and saltwater intrusion with the most adverse situations caused by climate change and the development of upstream Mekong River areas. To combine economic development with social development, poverty reduction, job creation, assurance of social security, environmental protection and building of a new countryside. To encourage the participation of all stakeholders, ensuring the organic link within the region and the close link with the southern key economic region and the Mekong Sub-region;

d/ To sustainably develop the Mekong River delta region for the common interests of the country, interests of the Mekong Sub-region and the international community is the cause of the entire people, which will involve  people of all strata and walks of life, international partners and enterprises in the process of development.

3. Guidelines and strategic orientations for the development of the Mekong River delta

a/ The development model of the Mekong River delta must take the people-centered approach, serve the people, and narrow the rich-poor gap. To attach importance to quality rather than quantity, change from extensive into intensive approach, and perform active and flexible approach in the context of quick and extreme climate change and impacts the large-scale and intensive exploitation and use of water resources in the upstream Mekong River delta areas. To change the development model in order to increase the economic efficiency and attach importance to the conservation of cultural and historical values, biodiversity and ecological environment of the region;

b/ To regard climate change and sea level rise as an inevitable trend that people must live with and adapt to, and turn challenges into opportunities. To consider water resources a core element and a basis for formulating strategies, policies and master plans on regional development, which need integrated management in the entire basin. In addition to freshwater resources, brackish water and salt water should also be considered natural resources for economic development. To increasingly manage and effectively, economically and sustainably use water, land and other resources in the region. To attach importance to the development of the coastal region, exclusive economic zone and the geo-political position of the delta. At the same time, to attach importance to the mitigation of disaster-caused damage and response to the possible worst scenarios;

c/ Change of the development model must be based on the ecosystem and suit natural conditions, biodiversity, culture, people and natural rules; to combine advanced and modern technology with knowledge and traditional experience, ensuring stability and people’s livelihood, in which people and enterprises play a central role, the State will give orientations and instructions. To boost innovation and support startups, strengthen the application of scientific and technological advances, particularly achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The change process needs a long-term vision, giving priority to climate change resilience while taking advantage of opportunities for the development of the low-carbon economy and green economy and the protection of natural ecosystems.

d/ To apply an overall approach and integrate the socio-economic development of the entire Mekong River delta region; to intensify development cooperation and connection among localities in the region, between the region and Ho Chi Minh City, southeastern provinces and other regions in the country, between the southwestern region and southeastern region, and between Vietnam and other countries, firstly the Mekong Sub-region countries;

dd/ All investment activities must be coordinated in an unified manner and according to an appropriate roadmap, ensuring they are inter-regional, inter-sectoral and focal, giving first priority to urgent works, works promoting the economic development of the whole region, and essential works serving people’s lives. To attach importance to and mainly apply non-structural solutions while properly taking structural solutions;

e/To develop socio-cultural activities to catch up with the average level of the whole country. To associate economic development with social development, poverty reduction, job generation, assurance of social security and environmental protection. To promote the potential, increase national defense and security forces, and maintain political stability, national sovereignty and social order and safety;

g/ To take the initiative in international integration, intensify cooperation with the Mekong Sub-region countries on the basis of mutual benefits through  regional and bilateral cooperation initiatives so as to effectively and sustainably use water resources and other resources in the Mekong River basin.

4. Overall solutions

a/ To organize the territorial space:

- To form ecological sub-regions to serve as orientations for economic, agriculture and infrastructure development (flooded delta areas and freshwater, brackish water and saltwater eco-zones, etc.).

- To organize and develop the urban system and rural residential areas as suitable to characteristics of the natural ecosystems and specific conditions of the region and each eco-sub-region; to review and complete the master plan on land use, and relocate population while controlling and restricting the construction of centralized residential areas close to landslide-prone river banks, canals and ditches; to reserve space for flood drainage to ensure the safety of people’s life and property.

b/ To formulate an overall master plan on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta as suitable to regional conditions on the basis of combining master plans of sectors, localities and key products; to synchronously settle inter-sectoral, inter-regional and inter-provincial overlapping and contradictory issues; to promote to the utmost potentials and comparative advantages of the region, and turn challenges into opportunities in the context of globalization and international economic integration, particularly with ASEAN and the Mekong Sub-region countries.

First of all, to review existing sectoral and local development master plans in the Mekong River delta. The new master plans should change the motto “living together with floods” to the motto “actively living together with flood, inundation, brackish water and salt water” on the basis of the overall master plan on water resources in river basins; to economically, effectively and sustainably use water resources, actively supply freshwater for people’s daily-life activities and brackish and saltwater economic zones; to reasonably exploit potentials of brackish and saltwater resources in coastal areas to serve the socio-economic development. All projects and works must be carefully considered in economic, social and environmental aspects, and objectively and scientifically criticized.

c/ To form a rational economic structure:

- To form the agricultural production structure, focusing on 3 major sectors, namely fisheries, fruit trees and rice, associated with ecological sub-regions, considering aquatic (freshwater, brackish water and saltwater) products  key products.

- To form a rational agricultural economic structure, ensuring the connection of commodity chains and greater participation in the global value chain. To attach importance to the processing industry and supporting industry for the agricultural economy.

- To develop green economy with less emissions and unharmful to the natural ecosystem. To develop renewable energy while protecting forests and seashores.

- To develop tourism and services on the basis of natural, ecological, cultural and human potentials and advantages for high economic efficiency. To develop types of orchard tourism, river tourism, and eco-tourism associated with natural reserves.

d/ To further complete the mechanism on coordination for developing the region and ecological sub-regions to be more effective toward reducing focal points and focusing on smart management of water resources and climate change resilience as suitable to practical conditions of Vietnam and the Mekong River delta region.

To ensure the connection among localities in the region and with other regions on the basis of harmonizing the interests of stakeholders and natural conditions on land, water and the ecosystem with culture and people; to attach importance to enhancing the connection on infrastructure and product chains among ecological sub-regions in the region and between the region and the southern key economic region, Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Sub-region.

To redress overlaps and loose cooperation in state management work, lack of mechanisms and policies to promote the concerted strengths of the entire region and create chain links so as to raise the value and competitiveness of agricultural products in the delta region.

dd/ To promulgate breakthrough mechanisms and policies so as to attract off-budget funds, particularly from the private sector; to involve the private sector in the affairs and sectors it can perform.

5. Specific tasks

a/ The National Committee on Climate Change shall

- Study and propose the Government and Prime Minister interdisciplinary and interregional mechanisms, policies, strategies, master plans, plans, programs, schemes, projects and tasks on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Water Resources Council and related agencies in advising the Prime Minister to coordinate bilateral and multilateral cooperation activities with upstream countries, river basins and great deltas in the world, other countries, international organizations and development partners on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta.

b/ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and agencies in, promptly reviewing data and completing the basic survey on natural resources and environment of the Mekong River delta region; develop and complete before December 2020 an interdisciplinary database on the Mekong River delta to serve sustainable and climate-resilient development and for connection with the database of the Mekong River Commission; upgrade and modernize the monitoring, supervision, warning and forecast system on natural resources and environment; and update, complete and periodically announce climate change and sea level rise scenarios for Vietnam through 2100.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and related ministries, sectors and localities in, effectively realizing strategic partnerships and agreements related to climate change response, including the strategic partnership on climate change with the Netherlands; study and propose the formulation of new cooperation frameworks on climate change and water resources with countries and international partners so as to take the utmost advantage of  their assistance and investment for sustainable development of the Mekong River delta.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and agencies in, promptly proposing revision of land policies to facilitate the accumulation and concentration of land areas to boost the large-scale production of competitive and high-efficiency agricultural commodities, particularly hi-tech agriculture and organic agriculture.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mekong River Commission and related agencies in, assessing and proposing solutions to effectively realize the 1995 Mekong Agreement, bring into play the role of Vietnam in the Mekong River Commission, strengthen cooperation with countries in the Mekong River basin, ensure the harmony of interests of stakeholders  in management, exploitation and use of water resources of the Mekong River; and report thereon to the Prime Minister before December 2018.

- Review, complete and make master plans on land use, water resources, environmental protection, exploitation and sustainable use of coastal resources of the Mekong Delta. Strictly control the sand exploitation; the volume of exploited sand, location and time for sand exploitation must be based on analysis results of the volume of sand converged in the Mekong River delta each year so as not to increase the risk of erosion in river banks and seashores.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with provincial-level People’s Committees in the Mekong River delta in, formulating a communication program on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta.

c/ The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and agencies in, formulating an overall master plan on sustainable development of the Mekong Delta through 2030, with a vision toward 2050 for climate change resilience according to the integrated multi-sectoral approach and on the basis of master plans of sectors, fields and key products, and submit it to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval before the third quarter of 2020.

- Review and assess the pilot mechanism on regional coordination under the Prime Minister’s Decision No. 593/QD-TTg of April 6, 2016, and submit to the Prime Minister solutions for completing the mechanism on coordination and development of the Mekong River delta region, including the formation of the Regional Coordination Council, to create concerted strengths and ensure close chain links to increase the value and competitiveness of commodities, agricultural products and aquatic products of the region.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance and related agencies in, formulating policies to encourage the development of the Mekong River delta on a regional and interdisciplinary scale, taking into account a long-term vision through 2030 and beyond so as to boost the development between production and consumption, between agricultural production and enterprises, and report thereon to the Prime Minister before December 2018.

- Formulate mechanisms to mobilize resources and encourage enterprises and people to invest in infrastructure and tourism development, such as mechanisms on loan provision, bond issuance, and investment in the form of public-private partnership,  under law. Prioritize the allocation of capital for interregional and interprovincial works which serve multiple purposes, combine traffic and hydraulic work, smart use of water resources, restrict adverse impacts of climate change, and water-related disasters.

- Focus on dealing with problems, boost the disbursement progress, ensure the effective use of medium-term public investment funds during 2016-2020, particularly projects on salinity and flood control, and redress severe landslides, interregional and interprovincial transport works using loans of the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency, development parties and other financial institutions; effectively use existing investment capital sources to build the sewer system for flood control, salinity prevention, and settlement of severe landslides that directly affect people’s houses, and protection of land and coastal mangrove forests.

d/ The Ministry of Finance shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, studying and reporting to the Prime Minister for consideration the establishment of the Fund on sustainable development of the Mekong River delta region, ensuring water resource security and climate change response so as to mobilize resources to the utmost, particularly off-budget funds.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment and related agencies in promptly allocating resources so as to accelerate the implementation and bring into play the effectiveness of programs and projects in the Mekong River delta region already approved by the Government or Prime Minister; study and formulate mechanisms and policies to mobilize, manage and effectively use resources for implementation of programs and projects on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta region.

dd/ The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministries of Planning and Investment; Finance; and Natural Resources and Environment, and related agencies in, formulating and submitting to the Prime Minister for approval before December 2018 an overall program on sustainable and climate-resilient agricultural development in the Mekong River delta region in association with restructuring the agricultural sector and building a new-style countryside in order to develop the agricultural and rural sector in the Mekong River delta region toward sustainability, modernity, high effectiveness, and climate resilience so as to bring into the fullest play potential and advantages.

- Review and adjust planning strategies and orientations for agricultural development in the Mekong River delta region in conformity with ecological sub-regions and association with three groups of key products: aquatic products, fruit trees and rice; reduce the areas of land for growing rice and water intensive crops with low commercial value. To encourage the development of models of agricultural production combined with eco-tourism.

- Review and improve mechanisms and policies to boost the application of scientific and technological advances, especially high technologies and biotechnology, in agriculture in combination with restructuring the agricultural sector and building a new-style countryside. To prioritize the study, creation and development of plant varieties, animal breeds and aquatic animal breeds which are potential and advantages of the Mekong River delta region to meet market demand and ensure climate change resilience; by 2025, focus on improving the quality of varieties and breeds for three groups of key products - aquatic products, fruit trees and rice - in order to ensure climate resilience and reach the level of countries with modern agriculture.

- Review and formulate new and breakthrough mechanisms and policies to develop large-scale, modern, highly competitive and sustainable  agricultural commodity production; encourage and attract enterprises to invest in the agricultural and rural sector in the Mekong River delta region; to develop cooperative economy, farm economy, agricultural value chain, production combined with product consumption; to boost agricultural mechanization and develop post-harvest technologies in order to reduce loss ratio, improve quality, value and effectiveness of agricultural, forestry and fishery production.

- Develop fisheries into a large-scale, modern, highly competitive and sustainable industry - one of the region’s spearheaded economic sectors. Strictly manage existing natural forests, not permit the change of use purpose, except cases serving security or national defense tasks or special socio-economic development projects approved by competent authorities; prioritize investment in restoration and planting of mangrove forests and coastal and riverside production forests.

- Review the master plan on hydraulic work and disaster prevention and control through 2030, with a vision through 2050, to make it suit to the new situation, thus minimizing damage upon occurrence of disasters and proactively responding to the worst scenario; formulate a plan on modernization of the system of hydraulic works to serve the conversion to and development of sustainable agriculture  ecological sub-regions along the line of diversifying resources and methods for implementation, focusing on the public-private partnership form.

- Formulate a plan on coastal protection, consolidation and upgrading of the system of sea dikes and prevention and control of coastal erosion; make investment so as to immediately handle seriously eroded coastal and river sections. Formulate a master plan on river training in association with the plan on use of riverside land use in the direction of reserving space for flood drainage and building transport works combined with dikes. Relocate and rearrange population in areas along rivers and canals in combination with building of a new-style countryside.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs in formulating a scheme on occupation change and job creation for agricultural and rural laborers in the direction of specialization and professionalization, helping farmers become real agricultural workers, gradually shifting agricultural laborers to industrial and service sectors.

e/ The Ministry of Industry and Trade shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and related agencies in, formulating priority mechanisms and policies for development of supporting industries for agricultural economy and agricultural product processing industry, especially deep processing; enhance trade promotion, reorganization and expansion of the domestic and export markets for key agricultural, forestry and fishery products of the Mekong River delta region.

- Review the formulation, appraisal and approval of location planning for, and strictly supervise the implementation of, investment projects on construction of coal-fired power plants in the Mekong River delta region under the national plan on electricity development for the 2011-2020 period, with orientations toward 2030, taken into consideration (Electricity Planning VII), ensuring that such plants apply new and modern technologies and do not cause environmental pollution.

- Prioritize the development of green industries which generate fewer emissions and do not cause damage to natural eco-systems. Restrict to the utmost the addition of new coal-fired power plants in the Mekong River delta provinces to the national electricity development plan; step by step change technologies of existing coal-fired power plants toward modernity and eco-friendliness. Focus on exploiting potential for development of renewable energies, first of all wind energy and solar energy.

g/ The Ministry of Construction shall

- Review, adjust, supplement and effectively implement regional, urban and rural construction master plans in conformity with the region’s natural ecological characteristics, paying attention to population rearrangement and relocation of riverside and canal-side houses so as to minimize the risk of erosion. To continue implementing the program on development of smart urban centers and the project on supply of safe water for the whole Mekong River delta region.

- Continue implementing current programs together with studying and formulating new mechanisms and solutions suitable to particular conditions of the Mekong River delta region, ensuring housing safety upon occurrence of inundation, droughts, storms, floods, whirlwinds and sea level rise.

- Study and create new materials for use as sand substitutes in ground leveling and construction activities (minimizing river sand mining for ground heightening). Plan and invest in concentrated modern garbage and wastewater treatment facilities; speed up the recycling and reuse of, and energy production from, garbage.

h/ The Ministry of Transport shall

- Plan the development of transport infrastructure toward synchronism, modernity, multi-purposed use, climate and sea level rise resilience, making use of the river and canal system to bring into play advantages of waterway transport and meet cargo transport demand.

- Concentrate resources to step by step complete the construction of the transport infrastructure system under the master plan approved by the Prime Minister, prioritizing works which also help improve the ability of responding to climate change and sea level rise.

i/ The Ministry of Science and Technology shall

- Review and improve mechanisms and policies on support for scientific and technological advance application and transfer, especially high technologies in agricultural production.

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and localities in, effectively implementing key scientific and technological programs and tasks, prioritizing the allocation of scientific and technological resources in a concentrated targeted, effective and practical manner so as to develop the Mekong River delta region in a sustainable and climate-resilient manner.

- Boost researches into environmental protection, disaster prevention and control, mitigation of damage and negative effects caused by climate change to the Mekong River delta region; promote international cooperation in study, application and transfer of technologies for sustainable development of the Mekong Delta region.

k/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall

- Regulate and promote Vietnam’s effective participation in current development cooperation frameworks with countries in the Mekong Sub-region and between countries of the Mekong Sub-region and development partners, especially encouraging countries in the Mekong River basin to cooperate with one another in sustainable and equal exploitation and use of the Mekong River’s resources, including water resources, on the basis of harmony between interests and sustainable and overall development objectives of the Mekong River basin.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in improving the effectiveness of Vietnam’s participation in the Mekong River Commission; further encourage countries and international organizations being development partners to increase their supports for the Commission’s activities; mobilize upstream countries which have not yet participated in the Commission to join
the Commission soon.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in expanding and promoting strategic partnerships in climate change response, including the climate change strategic partnership with the Netherlands; study and make recommendations on the establishment and development of new cooperation frameworks with other countries, international organizations and partners in this field; take full use of external resources, including investment capital and scientific and technological advances to help the Mekong River delta region sustainably develop.

l/ The Ministry of Justice shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with, and guide related ministries, sectors and localities in, reviewing, formulating and submitting to competent agencies for promulgation, or promulgating according to their competence, legal documents to ensure sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta region.

m/ The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall

- Organize the implementation of the master plan on tourism development of the Mekong River delta region up to 2020, with a vision toward 2030, attaching importance on development of eco-tourism products based on the region’s characteristics (orchards, river and canal systems), inter-regional and international tourist routes; advertise the Mekong River delta region’s tourism products in the world.

- Preserve, embellish and develop cultural identities, cultural works and historical and revolutionary relics; preserve and promote the value of natural and cultural heritages; formulate plans on preservation and development of cultures of and information on ethnic minority groups in the Mekong River Delta region.

n/ The Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall

- Boost vocational training and development of human resources, especially ones with high quality, in association with promotion of the labor export market, so as to make people actively and proactively participate in, and become the center of, the production and livelihood change process and meet the need for regional economic development; renovate training work, thus turning farmers into agricultural workers with high professional qualifications and making important contributions to labor restructuring.

- Speed up the implementation of the program on sending of laborers to work aboard.

o/ The Ministry of Information and Communications shall direct communications and press agencies in enhancing public information to raise awareness of people in the Mekong River delta region about opportunities brought about by the model transformation process for sustainable development and climate resilience.

p/ The Committee for Ethnic Minorities shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries, sectors and agencies in, comprehensively reviewing and formulating exclusive incentive policies for socio-economic development in areas inhabited by the Khmer; train cadres being Khmer people in the Mekong River delta region.

q/ The Ministry of Health shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with People’s Committees of Mekong River delta provinces and cities in, reviewing the master plan on the network of medical examination and treatment establishments; invest in the health system so as meet requirements on health care for people, improve developing conditions on hygiene conditions and supervise the quality of drinking and residential water for people in the condition of climate change.

r/ People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in the Mekong River delta region shall

- Assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and related agencies in, enhancing public information to raise the awareness of administrations and people about challenges encountering the Mekong River delta region and each locality in the region; be proactively resilient to climate change and other impacts of activities conducted in the upstream area, mobilize resources for forest protection, restoration and planting, especially the system of protection forests and coastal and riverside mangrove forests.

- Proactively review, formulate and implement socio-economic development and specialized master plans and plans in conformity with specific conditions and natural rules on the basis of the integrated master plan on sustainable development of the Mekong River delta region and the people-centered approach, striving to become climate change resilient and live well in the condition with saltwater intrusion and droughts like floods before.

- Update forecasts, review implementation ability, re-determine economic structure in the direction of promoting local potential and advantages; combine production with product consumption and assurance of sustainable development.

- Build economic models suitable to the nature, be ready to live in the condition of seawater intrusion and droughts as having been living well with floods; take the initiative in the whole process, from variety and breed production, farming, processing, preservation and distribution of agricultural, forest and fishery products, thus creating a closed value chain. To shift from agricultural production to ensure food security to agricultural commodity production in a diversified, large-scale and modern manner in combination with consumption market, turning the Mekong River delta region into a place for not only receiving and applying scientific and technological advances in the world and the fourth industrial revolution but also inventing new and special models of climate-resilient agriculture.

- Preserve and develop core values of the Mekong River delta region, creating a foundation for development of eco-tourism and river tourism based on the potential of each sub-region while being resilient to the saltwater and brackish water economy.

- Develop infrastructure and submerged residential areas on the basis of minimizing the use of sand for ground leveling and building reservoirs on the principle of taking initiative in living with floods; preserve submerged land areas to retain water.

s/ The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City shall proactively formulate programs on coordination with provinces and centrally run cities in the Mekong River delta region to facilitate the development and promote the combination between the Mekong River delta region and the Southeastern region and Ho Chi Minh City.

6. Organization of implementation

a/ The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the National Committee on Climate Change and related agencies in, periodically organizing preliminary reviews, final reviews and evaluation of the implementation of this Resolution, organizing sessions of the Forum on Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Development of the Mekong River delta region to inspect and urge the implementation of solutions set in previous ones, and discuss and recommend new strategies and solutions with expected results and specific implementation schedule at the request of the Prime Minister and the Government.

b/ Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government-attached agencies and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities in the Mekong River delta region shall:

- Based on the tasks assigned in this Resolution, formulate and promulgate plans on implementation of this Resolution before the second quarter of 2018; synchronously and drastically apply solutions to create drastic changes in order to sustainably develop the Mekong River delta region; make periodical reports on implementation situation and send them to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for summarization and submission to the Prime Minister and the Government.

- Assume the prime responsibility for reviewing, revising, supplementing or formulating before December 2018 sectoral master plans under their state management for use as a basis for the Ministry of Planning and Investment to build a master plan on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta region up to 2030, with a vision through 2050.

- Coordinate with the Ministry of Planning and Investment in formulating a master plan on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong River delta region by the integrated multi-sectorial approach.

c/ The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall assume the prime responsibility for preparing for conducting preliminary review of 5 years’ implementation of the plan on implementation of the Political Bureau’s Conclusion No. 28-KL/TW of August 14, 2012, on the orientations, tasks and solutions of socio-economic development and security and national defense assurance in the Mekong River delta region up to 2020, promulgated together with Decision No. 2270/QD-TTg of November 21, 2013; the preparation work must be completed before December 2018.

d/ The Political Bureau shall pay attention and direct the preliminary review of 5 years’ implementation of Conclusion No. 28-KL/TW of August 14, 2012, on the orientations, tasks and solutions of socio-economic development and security and national defense assurance in the Mekong River delta region up to 2020; consider promulgating of a resolution on sustainable and climate-resilient development of the Mekong Delta region.

dd/ The National Assembly shall consider, adjust, supplement and allocate budget funds for implementing programs, plans, projects and tasks stated in this Resolution.

e/ People’s Councils at all levels, the Vietnam Fatherland Front and associations at all levels shall speed up supervision and dissemination activities in the course of implementation of this Resolution.-

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
NGUYEN XUAN PHUC