Technical assistance grants will be used to carry out a full assessment of the climate change threats posed to the Mekong Delta region, and the actions needed for it to adapt in the face of an expected sea-level increase and more frequent and severe floods, according to an ADB news release issued on Jan. 13.

Vietnam is one of the nations most at risk from climate change, and the Mekong Delta in the south, which is home to a fifth of the population, and the main producer of rice, is the most vulnerable region in the country, the Manila-based financial institution said.

Preliminary studies show that up to 31 percent of the total land used for agriculture and aquaculture in the delta is at risk from a potential one metre rise in the sea level by 2100. This would have severe effects on the lives of about 4.8 million people, including over a million and a half poor.

A number of development agencies are providing climate-change linked assistance to Vietnam , but there has been no comprehensive study undertaken of the potential impacts of extreme climate events on the Mekong region.

The technical assistance will have two parts – modeling and assessment work to determine the likely future climate conditions in the region and their impact, and identifying appropriate climate change adaptation measures for targeted areas and sectors.

The total cost of the project is 1.63 million USD equivalent, with the Australian government providing an 800,000-USD grant, which will be administered by ADB. ADB is supplying 500,000 USD from its Climate Change Fund, while the Vietnamese Government will provide the remaining 330,000 USD.

The project will be carried out from January 2010 to April 2011./.