HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam — Wrapping up a historic visit to Vietnam, U.S. President Barack Obama today praised the country’s next generation of leaders for being more conscious of the environment than previous ones and urged them to “do something about” climate change.

During his final public event here, Obama basked in the admiration of hundreds of young leaders who participated in a town hall-style event and prefaced some of their questions to him with praise about his leadership and his “inspiring speeches.”

Obama used a question about preserving a Vietnamese cave from development to pivot to climate change, one of his top issues as president. He said Vietnam will be one of the countries most affected by the trend of warming temperatures and rising seas.

“That could have a huge impact on Vietnam’s ability to feed its people, on fishermen, on farmers, and it could be a really big problem if we don’t do something about it, so it’s going to be up to you to start,” said Obama, who routinely includes question-and-answer sessions with young leaders on his foreign trips.