From COP30 Belém to Vietnam – Climate Change Response through the Lens of Forest Protection, Flood Management, and Solar Energy

From COP30 Belém to Vietnam – Climate Change Response through the Lens of Forest Protection, Flood Management, and Solar Energy

By Le Ngoc Anh Minh 

1. Introduction: A powerful message from COP30 in the Amazon

COP30, held from November 10–21, 2025 in Belém, Pará, Brazil, carries profound symbolism as it took place at the “gateway” to the Amazon rainforest – one of the most vital lungs of the Earth. The COP30 President emphasized the importance of comprehensive action: involving governments, businesses, civil society, and indigenous communities.

Selecting Belém as the host city sends a strong message that protecting tropical forests is not only an environmental duty but a core part of the global fight against climate change. Yet, alongside this message exists a notable contradiction: the Brazilian authorities were criticized for certain infrastructure projects that impacted the forest, leading to deforestation. This demonstrates that even the host country of COP faces tensions between infrastructure development and environmental conservation. The message from the Amazon is a clear reminder for all countries: forest ecosystems must be at the center of climate strategies, and national commitments cannot be mere rhetoric if development projects harm these ecosystems.

2. Current climate change and storm-flood situation in Vietnam in 2025

2.1. Extreme climate and increasing floods

In 2025, Vietnam faces a series of storms and heavy rains causing severe floods. Rainfall intensity is increasingly extreme, with stronger storms and prolonged downpours leading to inundation, landslides, and heavy damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

Climate change is causing storms to carry more moisture, making rainfall and flooding increasingly destructive. Major floods not only destroy crops but also disrupt industrial production and damage infrastructure, with adaptation costs potentially reaching tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. Furthermore, highland areas are prone to landslides, while the Red River and Mekong Delta regions face flood risks and soil erosion. Rising sea levels further threaten lowland areas.

2.2. Challenges from planning and infrastructure

One major factor worsening flood losses is poorly adaptive urban planning and infrastructure. Many urban areas have lost natural drainage capacity due to excessive concrete coverage, blocking natural depressions that would absorb heavy rainfall. Moreover, deforestation in upstream areas and hydro/agricultural projects without sufficient ecosystem consideration have altered natural flows, increasing flood risks downstream and accelerating soil erosion.

Taken together, these conditions pose a critical challenge: Vietnam not only needs to reduce emissions but also strengthen resilience against climate-induced disasters such as storms, heavy rainfall, and flooding.

3. Lessons from COP30 Belém for Vietnam

From COP30 in Belém, Vietnam can draw strategic lessons to balance economic development, environmental conservation, and climate adaptation:

1. Forests are integral to climate strategy
   Holding COP near the Amazon highlights that forests are not merely environmental assets but central to climate adaptation. Similarly, Vietnam must treat forests – particularly protection and upstream forests – as a strategic pillar against floods, erosion, and storms.

2. International commitments must be matched by on-the-ground action
   COP30 emphasizes monitoring national climate commitments (NDCs). However, Brazil was criticized for infrastructure development harming the forest. This warns Vietnam to maintain transparency and strict oversight when implementing projects, avoiding “talking one way, acting another.”

3. Role of civil society and local communities
   COP30 stressed multi-level participation: from government to indigenous communities. In Vietnam, residents in flood-prone areas, environmental organizations, and scientists must be actively consulted in project decisions, especially for large hydropower, renewable energy, and land-use planning projects.

4. Strategic solutions for Vietnam (2025 onward)

Below is a comprehensive set of policy, technical, and social solutions for Vietnam, based on lessons from COP30 and the practical realities of storms and floods.

4.1. Strengthening forest protection and reforestation

• Protect upstream and protection forests: prioritize preserving forests that regulate water flows, maintain soil layers, and reduce erosion.

• Restore natural forests: replant native species using multi-layered approaches; restore protection forests in flood-prone and landslide-prone areas.

• Financial mechanisms for forests: establish forest protection funds and incentivize private and international investment to make conservation more valuable than deforestation.

• Transparent forest monitoring: use satellite imagery, drones, and IoT to monitor forest conditions and illegal logging; involve local communities in surveillance.

4.2. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) & large project monitoring

• Strict and transparent EIA: mega projects (hydropower, irrigation, large-scale solar, highways) must undergo comprehensive EIA considering climate, water flows, floods, ecosystems, and land.

• Extended assessment time: allow sufficient time to gather data, analyze scenarios, organize public consultation, and listen to societal feedback.

• Community consultation: residents in flood and forest areas must participate from the design stage, not just be informed later.

• Transparent flood release regulations: clearly define conditions, schedules, and publicly share flood release scenarios.

• Inter-agency monitoring mechanism: form a monitoring committee including government, scientists, environmental organizations, and local communities to oversee project compliance and environmental conditions.

4.3. Flood observation, forecasting, and planned release systems

• Observation and flood modeling: scientists, environmental agencies, and meteorological authorities should cooperate to build models predicting water flow, water levels, and flood risk based on rainfall, river flow, and reservoir capacity.

• Early warning systems: implement community warning systems (SMS, apps, loudspeakers), especially in downstream and vulnerable areas.

• Planned flood release: adopt policies for planned reservoir releases, limit sudden releases, and require hydropower plants to follow approved release scenarios.

• Community monitoring: enable and support local residents to monitor reservoir releases, report anomalies, and participate in reservoir management.

4.4. Developing renewable energy, especially solar power

To reduce emissions and improve adaptation capacity, renewable energy is essential. However, Vietnam must carefully consider solar development in the context of extreme climate:

Structural resilience against storms: investors must follow high wind-load standards when installing solar panels, especially in storm-prone areas. Frames, supports, and mounts should be robust, using durable materials with strong anchoring. Tracking systems (if used) must lock panels during storms to reduce wind impact.

Appropriate site planning: prioritize rooftop PV or agrivoltaics, avoid flood-prone areas, wetlands, or natural forests. Ground-mounted projects must undergo rigorous EIA assessing soil impact, water flow, erosion, and ecosystem effects.

Technical safeguards: elevate ground-mounted PV, implement proper drainage, conduct periodic maintenance on anchors and structures, integrate wind warning systems to lock PV arrays, and purchase disaster insurance.

Integration with green spaces and ecological design: agrivoltaics and windbreak trees around solar farms can reduce wind speed, prevent soil erosion, and increase carbon absorption. The government can provide subsidies, tax incentives, or capital support for resilient, environmentally friendly solar projects.

4.5. Financial policy and governance

• National climate adaptation fund: establish or enhance funds to invest in forest restoration, flood warning systems, green infrastructure, and storm-resistant renewable energy.

• Leverage international finance: attract international climate funds to support forest protection, early warning systems, and green energy development.

• Incentives for green enterprises: tax incentives and capital support for investments in solar, flood monitoring, and green technologies.

• Transparency and monitoring regulations: create independent monitoring including government, scientific, and civil society stakeholders to oversee climate commitments, energy projects, forest protection, and flood releases.

4.6. Role of community and civil society

• Public consultation and community integration: all large-scale projects impacting climate should hold open consultations and engage residents, scientists, and environmental organizations prior to approval.

• Community awareness raising: educate on climate change, storms, floods, the role of forests in water regulation and soil protection, and the benefits of resilient renewable energy.

• Civil society monitoring: encourage NGOs and indigenous communities to monitor project implementation, flood releases, and compliance with EIAs.

4.7. International cooperation

• Learning from global experience: Vietnam can learn from Brazil and other countries with large forests on balancing conservation, development, and climate strategy.

• Multilateral engagement: participate in global forest protection initiatives; cooperate on climate adaptation research, flood forecasting, and climate finance.

• Technology transfer: acquire early warning technologies, storm-resilient solar design models, and climate-adaptive reforestation techniques.

5. Challenges and warnings

Implementing the above strategies, Vietnam must be aware of challenges:

1. High costs: storm-resilient solar, reinforced foundations, and insurance increase investment costs.

2. Administrative barriers: strict EIA, public consultation, and independent monitoring may slow project timelines.

3. Technical capacity: construction units and solar investors require training on storm standards and safe installation.

4. Political and institutional commitment: transparency in permitting, flood release, and forest protection is essential.

5. Community engagement: integrating communities in consultation and monitoring must be substantive, not merely formal.

6. Conclusion

COP30 in Belém, adjacent to the Amazon rainforest, sends a profound message about the critical role of forests in the global climate crisis. The realities of COP30 also reveal conflicts between infrastructure development and forest conservation – a key lesson for Vietnam.

Vietnam is experiencing a severe 2025 marked by storms, heavy rainfall, floods, and landslides, illustrating the consequences of climate change and inadequate adaptive planning. To respond effectively, Vietnam needs a comprehensive strategy: forest protection, strict EIA for large projects, transparent flood monitoring and management, and smart, resilient renewable energy deployment.

For solar energy, structural resilience against storms, appropriate siting, technical safeguards, and disaster insurance are essential. Policy must promote green projects while maintaining environmental accountability – ensuring that “fast-tracked development” does not result in disasters and ecological loss.

Finally, Vietnam’s climate strategy requires collaboration among government, scientists, civil society, local communities, and investors. When all stakeholders actively participate and monitor, Vietnam can build a sustainable, safe, and climate-resilient development model.