International organizations support Mekong Delta in climate change adaptation

Prior to the National Conference on mobilizing resources to implement climate resilient agricultural solutions in the Mekong Delta region, which will be held in Ca Mau province, Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Head of the International Cooperation Department, in coordination with several agencies under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and leaders from Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces, received representatives from various international partners, including the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), RMIT Vietnam, and Mekong Capital on March 21.

Participants of the meeting shared solutions to support the implementation of projects aimed at enhancing climate resilience in the Mekong Delta region.

Mr. Le Van Su, Vice Chairman of the Ca Mau Provincial People's Committee, reported that several international organizations have implemented support and sustainable livelihood programs within the province.

According to Mr. Su, these projects have been exhibited a high level of feasibility, complemented by enhanced effectiveness. Based on local experiences, Mr. Su expressed his wish for international organizations to concurrently carry out two tasks: investing in infrastructure and improving livelihoods for local residents.

"The participation of businesses is crucial to the integration of these two issues. They are key actors in the implementation of local projects, as well as fulfilling production and trading objectives, thereby meeting the practical needs of Ca Mau province," Mr. Su emphasized.

On the other hand, the local government of province is collaborating with SNV to officially announce the project "Transforming the Rice Value Chain for Climate Resilient and Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC)".

The Kien Giang Provincial People's Committee has approved the acceptance of a non-refundable aid amount of 22 billion VND from SNV, to implement the TRVC Project between October 2023 and December 31, 2027.

Mr. Le Huu Toan, General Director of the Kien Giang province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, stated that the project has assisted at least 75,000 small-scale farmers with applying climate resilient practices in agriculture. Most notably, the project has enhanced the awareness and knowledge regarding the benefits of low-carbon rice farming.

Approximately 50 technical officers from the province's agricultural sector have improved their capacity in standardization and application of surveying, reporting, and verification activities in rice farming.

The aforementioned positive results have motivated SNV to fully commit to supporting climate resilient solutions in the Mekong Delta region, with a special focus on the Project for "One hectare of high-quality rice."

SNV has developed measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) methods with the aim of providing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development with methodological approaches to the extensive implementation of projects. This initiative is intended to assist farmers in the Mekong Delta in effectively and successfully participating in the official carbon credit market.

Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, Head of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, shared that with the support of international organizations, many climate resilient programs and projects in the Mekong Delta region have been effectively implemented with promising results.

This effort contributes to enhancing the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and local governments in effectively and sustainably responding to the challenges of climate change.