During the strategy development, MAE called on ADB to prioritize Central Viet Nam and the Central Highlands in response to extreme climate events.
On the afternoon of September 30, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep met with Ms. Stefania Dina, Director for Agriculture, Food, Natural Resources and Rural Development (AFNR), Southeast Asia and the Pacific Department, Asian Development Bank (ADB).
Sharing Viet Nam’s approach to accessing development financing with the ADB side, Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep said the agriculture and environment sector is prioritizing large-scale, integrated, multisectoral development projects with broad spillover effects and the potential to bring about tangible changes, in line with the Government’s development orientations.
Regarding the progress of the Climate-Resilient Integrated Flood Management Project (ADB10), units under the Ministry are currently appraising the project’s feasibility study report. The appraisal focuses on the project’s socio-economic effectiveness and investment efficiency, including quantifying socio-economic efficiency indicators, assessing operating costs after the completion of ADB financing, and evaluating the capacity to take over and sustain the project’s outcomes.
The meeting between Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and the ADB delegation. Photo: Kieu Chi.Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep also called on ADB to accelerate the implementation of the “Southeast Asia River Basin Initiative”, which aims to strengthen integrated water resources management, river basin planning, river restoration and climate change resilience; improve water resource allocation; strengthen monitoring and information systems; promote coordination mechanisms among relevant stakeholders; and facilitate the sharing of experience in river basin management.
ADB was also asked to consider providing technical assistance to improve the legal framework for water resources, support the implementation of the Law on Water Resources No. 28/2023/QH15, and facilitate the implementation of water resources plans approved by the Government.
Providing an update on the Country Partnership Strategy for 2027–2031 at the meeting, Ms. Stefania Dina said ADB would focus its cooperation and investment on several groups of programs and projects, including food system transformation; integrated rural infrastructure development and livelihood improvement; integrated water security in major river basins; development of the blue ocean economy; and enhanced resilience of coastal areas.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep proposed that, during the development of the overall plan for the Strategy, ADB continue to pay attention to the Central Highlands and Central Viet Nam, where demand for water resources management is particularly high, especially as El Niño could increase the risk of drought and water shortages for agricultural production.
The leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment also emphasized the need to strengthen local authorities' roles and responsibilities in loan-financed projects. Accordingly, local authorities should take greater initiative in decision-making and project implementation, while assuming responsibility for the effective use of loan resources.