Âu Lạc’s   (Vietnam) south central coast is threatened by desertification. Reports from the Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology as well as the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and UNESCO state that over half of the 3 million hectares comprising the provinces of Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận on Âu Lạc’s south central coast are now classified as “wasteland.”

The land is turning to desert because of severe droughts as well as deforestation and over-use of natural resources. Three other regions in similar jeopardy were identified last year. Âu Lạc is working to prevent further desertification, with approximately US$620 million budgeted annually for actions such as tree planting and resource management, to halt the desertification process.

May reports such as these awaken our consciousness to the fact that global warming is rapidly changing our Earth. We pray that mitigating efforts are successful in preserving and restoring precious lands in Âu Lạc’s and other nations