BIDV, QPT partner to plant 240,000 trees

Joining hands to build a “green shield” for coastal protection

On April 1 in Can Tho city, the Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam (BIDV) and the Disaster Prevention Community Fund (QPT) signed a cooperation agreement to implement a program to plant 240,000 trees in the Mekong Delta.

The event was attended by Cao Duc Phat, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Chairman of the Disaster Prevention Community Fund; Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep, Vice Chairwoman of the Can Tho City People’s Committee; and Phan Duc Tu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BIDV.

Under the agreement, BIDV will coordinate with the fund to plant 240,000 trees in mangrove forest areas in Can Tho city. The program will be implemented in areas affected by natural disasters, drought, and saline intrusion, contributing to ecological restoration and enhancing the resilience of coastal ecosystems. This activity is part of BIDV’s “One million trees” initiative, launched in response to the Prime Minister’s scheme to plant one billion trees nationwide.

According to Ha Thuy Hanh, Deputy Director of the Disaster Prevention Community Fund, the core objective of the BIDV-supported program is to raise community awareness of environmental protection, particularly in coastal areas.

Key activities include planting and restoring mangrove forests and selecting native tree species suitable to the ecological conditions of localities such as Soc Trang and Bac Lieu (before administrative mergers). The implementation process is carried out systematically, from surveying terrain and soil conditions to land zoning, boundary identification, and applying technical standards for planting and care according to professional guidelines. Planting density, seedling standards, and replanting during the early years are carefully managed to ensure high survival rates and long-term effectiveness.

Regarding the 2024 - 2028 period, the program is expected to be implemented in multiple coastal localities and linked with environmental events such as Earth Day (April 22) and World Environment Day (June 5). In practice, areas in Soc Trang and Bac Lieu have already seen thousands of hectares of forests restored with the participation of local authorities, forest rangers, social organizations, and local communities.

QPT hopes to continue receiving resources in the near future to expand the program’s scale while strengthening the linkage between local livelihoods and forest protection, contributing to the development of a green and sustainable coastal economy.

Linking forest planting with livelihoods and sustainable development

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Cao Duc Phat, Chairman of the Disaster Prevention Community Fund, affirmed that QPT would closely coordinate with local authorities and related agencies to organize planting, care, and monitoring activities in accordance with technical standards, ensuring high survival rates and contributing to disaster prevention capacity and sustainable development in the region.

Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep, Vice Chairwoman of the Can Tho City People’s Committee, said BIDV and QPT have supported the locality in mangrove forest planting. The city will closely coordinate with relevant agencies to ensure effective implementation, select suitable planting areas and species, and ensure proper planting, care, and protection of the trees to maximize the project's long-term environmental benefits and climate resilience.

Phan Duc Tu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BIDV, shared that throughout nearly seven decades of development, while serving as a key financial institution of the economy, BIDV has consistently prioritized sustainable development by integrating business activities with social responsibility and environmental protection.

Through various meaningful initiatives and community programs, BIDV promotes humanitarian values and mobilizes social participation to create long-lasting, sustainable positive impacts. The cooperation agreement with the Disaster Prevention Community Fund to plant 240,000 trees marks an important step toward fulfilling BIDV’s commitment to planting “one million trees.”

Responding to the Prime Minister’s directive on planting one billion trees, BIDV launched the “One million trees” program for the five-year period from 2022 to 2026.

To date, the initiative has achieved positive results, with over 760,000 trees planted in many provinces and cities nationwide, from northern mountainous areas and central regions to the Mekong Delta - regions heavily affected by natural disasters and climate change. The planting of 240,000 trees in Can Tho city will contribute to fulfilling BIDV’s commitment and completing its “One million trees” program.