The World Bank’s Special Envoy on climate change Andrew Steer is on a visit to Vietnam to assess impacts of climate change on the Southeast Asian country.

In his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai in Hanoi on Nov. 10, Steer discussed the WB plan for member countries’ activities to respond to climate change and proposals on the institution’s assistance to Vietnam from funds set up by the WB and co-donors.

Deputy PM Hai spoke highly of the WB’s recent achievements, saying that the institution plays an especially important role in achieving sustainable poverty reduction in developing countries and promoting global trade, particularly food security, renewable energy development and environmental protection.

He hailed the strong support from Steer in his earlier capacity as WB resident director in Vietnam , from 1997-2002.

The Deputy PM expressed his wish that the WB will continue to help Vietnam to seek aid sources and technical assistance, since Vietnam is among countries most at risk from climate change and sea level rise.

Hai took this opportunity to thank the WB for its provision of a loan worth 70 million USD to the programme on climate change (Phase I).

He said he wanted the WB to consider soft loans to projects relating to coastal protective forests, construction of a tidal dyke system and enhancement of flood control in vulnerable urban cities and central provinces.