Vietnam - ADB strategic partnership towards green growth

On the morning of April 8, Vietnam Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy received and held a working session with the 2025 Program Team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), led by Mr. Shantanu Chakraborty, ADB Country Director for Vietnam.

Developing smart and sustainable agricultural value chains

Director Shantanu Chakraborty affirmed that ADB's core objective is to support Vietnam's agriculture and environment sectors in adapting to and mitigating climate change impacts, reducing carbon emissions, while also promoting marine ecosystem protection and water security.

He emphasized that ADB currently possesses a robust financial capacity to provide loans to both the Vietnamese Government and the private sector. Over the past two years, ADB has scaled up its lending activities and looks forward to continued close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE). This partnership aims to strengthen ADB’s role as a strategic national partner of Vietnam for the 2023-2026 period.

The ADB Country Director for Vietnam added: “We are ready to support the development of agricultural value chains and the diversification of crop production to generate higher economic value for farmers, within the framework of the Project on Sustainable Development for One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Cultivation linked with Green Growth in the Mekong Delta Region by 2030.”

Regarding projects and technical assistance, Mr. Shantanu Chakraborty shared that ADB has been effectively collaborating with the MAE as well as local authorities. In Yen Bai province, ADB has implemented community-based livelihood support programs, strengthened connectivity with residential clusters, and promoted sustainable, nature-based agricultural development.

Managing water resources, conserving marine ecosystem

Following the remarks of the ADB delegation, Minister Do Duc Duy expressed his sincere gratitude to ADB for the practical and active support provided to Vietnam's agriculture and environment sectors in recent times.

The Minister emphasized that in the coming period, the MAE will continue to strongly promote and expand cooperation with ADB, with the aim of effectively implementing priority programs and projects. Currently, several key projects such as ADB-9, ADB-10, and TA-9417 VIE have been approved for investment policies by the competent authorities.

Minister Do Duc Duy stated that the application of digital technology in agriculture, particularly in the transformation of the rice sector toward transparency, responsibility, and sustainability, is a key priority for Vietnam. These efforts need to be effectively integrated with ADB’s climate change adaptation projects to enhance overall impact.

The Minister added: “The Government and MAE are placing special emphasis on river basin planning, assessing environmental carrying capacity, and restoring aquatic ecosystems. We hope that ADB will accompany us in planning efforts, infrastructure investments, and the implementation of timely solutions.”

He also noted that the Ministry will consult ADB for technical advice and investment resources to implement projects aimed at transforming public transportation systems toward greener models, improving urban air quality management, and strengthening public participation.

In agreement with ADB’s proposals, the Minister expressed hope that ADB will continue to support the implementation of both technical and financial components and offer flexible lending mechanisms.

He highly appreciates the marine ecosystem investment project in the Gulf of Thailand, which is significant for fisheries benefits for Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia, and therefore expects frequent exchanges to lead to an agreement soon.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides agreed to expand cooperation in key areas of the agriculture and environment sectors. Those include dam safety management, ensuring transboundary water security and sustainable use of water resources, sustainable forestry development, restoration of mangrove ecosystems, supporting socio-economic development in mountainous regions and especially disadvantaged communes. These efforts aim to contribute to the achievement of the national millennium development of sustainable goals.

ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members in diferrent regions.