Closing of pilot model for a safe, clean, and green community in Cao Bang

Within the framework of the Project on Strengthening Disaster and Climate Resilience for Children, the VDDMA, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Viet Nam and the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Cao Bang Province, has implemented the “Safe, Clean, and Green Community” model in Tam Kim Commune, Cao Bang Province.

On 12 November, Tam Kim Primary and Lower Secondary School hosted the closing event of the pilot “Safe, Clean, and Green Community” model in Tam Kim Commune, held together with the final round of the “Green Creative Designer” contest for lower-secondary students from the three secondary schools in the commune. This series of meaningful and practical activities has helped raise awareness of disaster prevention and climate change adaptation among more than 300 ethnic minority students in the locality.

According to Mr. Nguyen Van Tien, Deputy Director General of the VDDMA, from 2022 to 2025 the Authority has worked with UNICEF to develop and pilot the “Safe, Clean, and Green Community” model - an initiative aimed at building a proactive, resilient, and sustainable society in the face of natural disasters and climate change, grounded in solidarity, awareness, and community self-protection skills, especially among the younger generation.

“From Can Tho and Ca Mau to today’s event in Cao Bang, we are together sowing green seeds of trust and action. Every tree planted, every light switched on, every mural conveying messages that inspire action, contributes to a community that knows how to care, protect, and take initiative in the face of disasters.

These efforts help beautify our schools - places that nurture knowledge, spark dreams, and turn aspirations into reality, just as the Prime Minister emphasized at the groundbreaking ceremony for new schools in border communes. I believe that when each of us understands and acts for our own safety, that is when we are strongest against the challenges of nature,” he shared.

Speaking at the event, Mr. Ly Phat Viet Linh, Program Manager for Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change at UNICEF Viet Nam, described the model as comprehensive, aiming to ensure children grow up in the best possible, safe, and healthy environment.

“Climate change is no longer a distant challenge; it is directly affecting the lives of children and communities. Here in Cao Bang, which recently experienced historic floods and widespread landslides, UNICEF has worked with partners to help children and residents stabilize their lives as quickly as possible.

At the same time, we have integrated disaster preparedness and climate adaptation education into schools, equipping children with the knowledge and skills to become messengers spreading action. We are here today to reaffirm a shared commitment: no child will be left behind in the fight against climate change,” he emphasized.

At the same event, the final round of the “Green Creative Designer” contest was held for lower-secondary students from the three secondary schools in Tam Kim Commune. At the conclusion of the contest, the organizers awarded the First Prize to the collection “Green Journey - For a Vietnam Safe from Disasters” from Hoa Tham Ethnic Boarding Lower Secondary School; two Second Prizes and five consolation prizes were given to other outstanding works.

Support activities for Tam Kim Commune included:

- Installation of rooftop solar power systems at Tam Kim Primary and Lower Secondary School; 70 energy-efficient, solar-powered streetlights; and 30 warning and informational signs on landslide risks and disaster awareness across the commune.

- Planting 300 flowering and ornamental trees along roads surrounding the schools and the commune’s People’s Committee headquarters to create a green and clean environment.

- Launching a community cleanup campaign across Tam Kim Commune.

- Organizing the extracurricular mural painting activity “Be Ready for Disasters and Climate Change” for over 160 ethnic minority students at Tam Kim Primary and Lower Secondary School, helping them learn about disaster risk reduction, climate-change adaptation, and environmental protection.

- Supporting the renovation and installation of two child-friendly “Green Libraries” at Tam Kim Primary and Lower Secondary School, providing shelves, desks, chairs, hundreds of books, learning materials, and resources on disaster prevention, climate adaptation, and environmental protection.