KfW supports the implementation of forest and biodiversity protection projects

On July 24, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Quoc Tri welcomed and worked with Mr. Frank Bohnet, Director of the German Development Bank (KfW) for East Asia and Southeast Asia on promoting cooperative projects, including the project "Combining coastal protection and mangrove belt restoration in Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces" and the project "Reducing illegal wildlife trade and hunting in Vietnam to prevent zoonotic diseases. 

Mr. Frank Bohnet, Director of the German Development Bank (KfW) for East Asia and Southeast Asia appreciated the long-term cooperation between the two sides over the past 20 years in many fields such as forestry, coastal protection, biodiversity. 

 Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, KfW has implemented about 15 projects in Vietnam with a total commitment of about 200 million euros. This is concrete proof that this cooperation does not just stop at dialogue but is also successful specific projects that contribute to the protection of forest natural resources in Vietnam. 

On the side of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri highly appreciated the cooperation programs with the German Development Bank in recent times. The result of the cooperation programs has contributed to the development of socio-economic development, protection of environmental resources, increased forest cover and better nature conservation.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri, Vietnam's forestry industry in the coming time will aim to protect forests, forest ecosystems and forest resources in the best and most intact way. Through the management, protection and development of forests, Vietnam supports communities living in and next to forests to ensure their lives and attract people in forest areas to participate.

These goals are clearly expressed in the policies, regulations, and strategies that have been and will be approved. To complete these goals, Deputy Minister Tri believes that not only the participation of domestic actors is needed but also the support of international organizations, including resources from KfW to speed up the implementation.

In addition to discussing issues related to cooperation in the field of natural resource management and biodiversity, a number of proposals on implementing KfW projects were also raised at the meeting. Mr Pham Dinh Van, Head of the Central Management Board of Irrigation Projects (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) said that the workload of the project "Combining coastal protection and mangrove belt restoration in Kien Giang and Ca Mau provinces" is still very large. Therefore, it is necessary to concentrate highly and receive maximum support from relevant agencies to complete the project according to the approved schedule of December 31, 2025.

Difficulties and obstacles facing the GOPA Consulting task in preparing feasibility studies must be carried out according to the signed, negotiated and agreed upon contract. The CPO Board is submitting to KfW for a no-objection opinion and plans to mobilize the GOPA Consultant from early August 2024.

With the project "Reducing illegal wildlife trade and hunting in Vietnam to prevent zoonotic diseases", Ms. Phan Thi Thanh Hang, Deputy Director of the Forest Protection Department said that the project has not yet established a Central and local Steering Committee and Project Management Board; The aid agreement and separate agreement have not yet been signed. Besides, the project has not yet been started, and the project's overall plan and annual plan have not yet been developed, so the project has not yet been implemented. In addition, the project is still facing difficulties in procurement and bidding issues that need further discussion with KfW to continue implementation.

The project "Conservation and management of coastal mangrove ecosystems in the Red River Delta (KfW11) has completed approval procedures and the loan agreement. The aid agreement has also been signed by the Ministry of Finance with KfW. However, the project is still facing difficulties in adjusting and amending the draft content of the Private Agreement, recruiting international consultants to support the project,...

The Forestry CPO Board recommends continuing negotiations for KfW to directly select international consultants to shorten the time. In addition, the Department of International Cooperation is requested to discuss with KfW to allow immediate implementation of activities using ODA capital after a separate agreement is signed between the two sides.

With the above difficulties, Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri proposed that the two sides continue to cooperate closely in the coming time in implementing projects, especially in the field of forestry. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also affirmed that it will direct units to implement projects effectively, in accordance with the content signed with KfW.

The Deputy Minister requested that KfW support resolving barriers to implementing the above 3 projects and continue to support Vietnam in projects that can be implemented in the future.

Sharing opinions from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Frank Bohnet said that KfW is trying to support both sides in resolving difficulties. From there, promote these important projects to be implemented and completed on schedule.

KfW asserts that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is always one of the most important partners in Vietnam. According to Mr. Bohnet, the unit has consulted with the German Government that forest protection and biodiversity protection must be important contents in German-Vietnam cooperation. For the upcoming cooperation projects with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, KfW will focus on arranging non-refundable aid capital instead of loan capital.