Fifteenth International Conference on Climate Change: Impacts & Responses

Abstract

The study attempts a comparative analysis of the economic implications of climate change in two developing countries, namely Egypt and Vietnam, and the subsequent mobility challenges of the population. This study pursues a descriptive, “literature review” approach of identifying, collecting and analyzing data from credible reports and research studies. Egypt and Vietnam have comparable economies. Vietnam has been transformed from being among the world’s poorest nations to a lower middle-income nation that aims to become, according to the World Bank, a high-income country by 2045. Egypt belongs to a grouping of countries located in Middle East and North Africa known as “MENA”, experienced political and economic transformations, but with a potential for significant future expansion. The analysis shows that Egypt and Vietnam are one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change impacts and face substantial economic consequences. Both countries experience de-escalate growth rates and reduction in GDP. The impacted sectors are housing and property values, tourism sector, agriculture sector, transportation and health. Mainly UNEP prioritizes the mitigation of climate change effects in Egypt since it is home to 7 UNESCO world cultural heritages. The primary climate impacts forcing mobility of population in Egypt include sea level rise, desertification, and soil degradation and extreme flooding for Vietnam. The study states that since significant parts of population are impacted by climate change, mobility is a significant adaptation strategy including governmental relocation programs. The study concludes that the benefits of solid and early action far outweigh the economic costs of not acting.