(Vientiane Times) The Water Resource and Environment Administration (WREA) last week launched the National Strategy on Climate Change in Vientiane, after it was approved by the government earlier this month.

The strategy was part of a concerted effort by the government to join the international community in the common fight against climate change.

Head of the WREA, Ms Khempheng Pholsena, said the strategy was necessary as there were many social and environmental challenges facing the country.

She said the planet was being overwhelmed by human induced changes over the last few decades, which have brought about changes in the climate through increased greenhouse gas emissions.

The new national strategy is based on the overarching principle of shared responsibility and differentiated commitment that have been stressed by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol and Bali Action Plan, and takes into account the urgency of the situation.

The government has also decided to associate itself with the Copenhagen Accord and actively follow up and participate in the forthcoming meeting in Bonn and COP16 in Mexico at the end of this year.

Ms Khempheng hoped the disagreement and differences that have emerged among the parties for a legally binding agreement would be overcome in the spirit of common responsibility by COP16.

This would ensure legal coverage for the period after 2012 when the first commitment of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

She hoped that despite differing views, there could be a consensus for financing commitments made during COP15, particularly to support capacity development needs such as the transfer of clean technology, food security, forestry, energy efficiency, and natural disaster risk management.

Ms Khempheng said the WREA would continually develop the strategy as knowledge, capacity and experience became more available.

More pictures click to here: http://www.wrea.gov.la/somoula/PicturesShow/index.php?imgdir=2010-03-26%20ICTC