"Adaptation policies seem mandatory because Viet Nam is the country most heavily affected by the consequences of climate change," Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai said at a Government meeting on Monday.

The policy focus would be on agricultural production and food security, he said.

The Government wants to maintain land for rice cultivation and promote research on an agricultural production system that would be compatible with climate change.

Under the policy, the role of forests would also be stressed with the hopes of increasing coverage from 37 per cent in 2005 to 43 per cent by 2010 and 47 per cent in 2020.

During the meeting, representatives from ministries and authorities also discussed ways to protect infrastructure and reduce losses for 7 million fishermen and salt workers living along the coastal area of Viet Nam.

The need for maintaining fresh water supply was also considered. The proposals will continue to be discussed and completed soon, officials said.

An assessment by the UN’s Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change ranked Viet Nam in the top five countries that would suffer the most from climate change.

In terms of rising sea levels, the country ranks first on the degree of impact on the population, GDP, and urban and wetland areas. It ranks second on general land area and agriculture.

In the past 30 years, the sea level along the coasts has increased slightly and is expected to rise by up to 33cm by 2050, and by a metre by 2100.