Vinh Long Wetlands Livelihood Project launched

The project aims to pilot and scale up innovative financial tools to support sustainable livelihoods, promote cooperation between coastal farmers and businesses on adaptation technologies, and enhance access to capital, governance capacity, and sustainable development for cooperatives, farmers, and small enterprises.

Upon completion, the project is expected to successfully pilot coastal ecosystem-based livelihoods (ecological aquaculture, community-based tourism, non-timber forest products), develop and disseminate a toolkit of innovative financial instruments applicable nationwide, and contribute to the conservation and restoration of mangroves and wetlands while improving climate resilience.

At the project launch, Mr. Nguyen Truc Son, Vice Chairman of the Vinh Long Provincial People’s Committee, highlighted four key priorities for the province. First, placing local people at the center - all activities aim to improve livelihoods, enhance capacity, and create equal opportunities for women, youth, and vulnerable groups. Second, strengthening institutional capacity and multi-sectoral coordination to ensure unified, effective, and synchronized implementation. Third, promoting innovation and digital transformation to make financial services more accessible to rural communities. Fourth, committing to sustainable development, balancing economic, social, and environmental objectives.

Ms. Nguyen My Hang, Head of the Science, Technology, and International Cooperation Department at the Viet Nam Agency for Sea and Islands (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), noted that the Agency has closely collaborated with the Adaptation Fund (AF) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to develop and finalize the project documents, including the components implemented by the Ministry and the two components in Tra Vinh and Ben Tre provinces (now part of Vinh Long).

Ms. Hang emphasized that with technical, financial, and international experience support from partners, the Project’s activities will contribute to the restoration, sustainable management, and utilization of valuable natural resources. At the same time, it will promote environmentally friendly livelihood models that are adapted to climate change, helping achieve national objectives for sustainable blue economy development based on green growth, proactive climate and sea-level rise adaptation, preventing marine environmental degradation, and restoring and conserving critical marine ecosystems.