Earth Hour in Vietnam

Bigger and better than ever

A record-breaking 20 provinces in Vietnam joined this year’s Earth Hour, more than twice the number last year!
Government partners, sponsors and thousands of volunteers are being acknowledged for their support for activities which occurred across Vietnam in the months leading to Earth Hour, including a climate change education programme for schools, bicycle parades and an event on the night of Earth Hour in Ho Chi Minh City, attended by around 5,000 people.

Almost 5,000 individuals and businesses officially register their commitment to turn out the lights as a symbolic action. WWF Vietnam also received close to 4,000 submissions in Earth Hour related competitions, highlighting the popularity of this year’s Earth Hour nationally.

For the contests, children in local schools created lanterns and drawings expressing their desire for a bright and sustainable future, and creative students and professional photographers sent in photos and video portraying how they see climate change and their perspective on Earth Hour.

First place photo contest winner Đặng Kế Đức, whose winning photo depicts a father and child using lanterns during Earth Hour, described his concern about the impacts of climate change already being felt in Vietnam: “We have been seeing more and more effects of climate change, from change in temperature to big events like flooding”.

Winning submissions in the Earth Hour contests won energy-efficient electronics donated by LG Vietnam and camera equipment donated by Canon. Winning photos and videos will be announced and published in a popular media company’s outlets, including their newspaper and website.

This year marked the second time Vietnam has officially participated in Earth Hour. After months of concentrated efforts to educate the public about the enormous impacts that climate change poses to the country, over 5,000,000 people visited the official Earth Hour Vietnam website, around 5,000 people attended the official event in Ho Chi Minh City through heavy rains, and thousands of people and businesses throughout the country signed up and participated in the global action for climate change.
 
/ ©: WWF Vietnam
Earth Hour Vietnam, 2010
© WWF Vietnam
/ ©: WWF Vietnam
Earth Hour Vietnam, 2010
© WWF Vietnam

Climate Change

Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time, and is set to radically transform the world in which we live.
The Mekong region’s heavily populated coastal areas are especially at risk from saltwater intrusion, inundation from rising seas, and more extensive floods arising from greater peak flows of the Mekong, Red, Chao Phraya and other rivers.

Vietnam is regarded as one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, because of its long low-lying coastline and exposure to typhoons, storms, heavy and variable rainfall. Climate change will severely affect Vietnam’s natural systems, its economy, and the population as a whole.

Climate changes are already evident in Vietnam. The average temperature has increased 0.5°C and the sea level is about 20 cm higher than it was 50 years ago. Extreme climate events such as heavy rain, droughts and floods have become more frequent and typhoons with higher intensity now hit Vietnam. Predicted climate changes for Vietnam include: rising temperatures; changes in the rainfall pattern; changes in the frequency and intensity of cold fronts; an increase in extreme weather events; and sea level rise.

Read more about Climate Change in the Greater Mekong >>

/ ©: WWF
Greater Mekong Climate Change map
© WWF

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