Illustrative photo (Source: Norton Rose Fulbright)
Hanoi (VNA) –The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has provided 30.2 millionUSD as non-refundable assistance to Vietnam to help the country deal withclimate change impacts.
The sum will be allocated to a project “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climatechange-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and south-central coastregions of Vietnam” (SACCR).
A document to this effect was signed by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) andthe United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Hanoi on May 28.
The project is expected to benefit localresident in five provinces, namely Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Dak Nong andDak Lak.
It aims to empower vulnerable farming households, especially women and people from ethnic minority groups in the CentralHighlands and south central regions in managing climate-related risks to agriculturalproduction by ensuring the availability of water resources, climate changeresilient activities and access to agricultural climate information, credit andmarket.
According to DeputyMinister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Hoang Hiep, this is the largest non-refundable aid that the Ministry has received from international organisationsin recent years.
At the signing ceremony (Photo: nongnghiep.vn)
The project will help strengthenconnection of irrigation systems, improve the management capacity, and effectivelyuse climate change adaptation systems, especially in the South Central andCentral Highlands regions.
UNDP Resident Representative in VietnamCaitlin Wiesen said the project will support small farmers, especiallywomen and ethnic people vulnerable to climate change to adapt quickly to naturaldisasters.
They will benefitthrough smart irrigation systems and livelihood options, she said, adding thatthey will be also provided with knowledge of climate risks and opportunities toaccess to efficient agricultural cultivation techniques, as well as informationon market.
The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2016.
The Green Climate Fund was established by 194 countries party to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2010. It is designed as an operating entity of the Convention’s financial mechanism and is headquartered in the Republic of Korea. It is governed by a 24 Board member Board, representing countries, and receives guidance from the Conference of the Parties to the Convention (COP).
Created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Fund aims to support a paradigm shift in the global response to climate change. It allocates its resources to low-emission and climate-resilient projects and programmes in developing countries./.
