To the latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) updated, by 2030, Vietnam can reduce emissions by up to 27%, equivalent to 250.8 million tons of CO2. Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) is one of the areas that has made crucial contributions to the implementation of this commitment. At the COP26 conference, held in Glasgow, Vietnam and other 150 countries have committed to bringing net emissions to "zero" by the middle of the century; together with more than 100 countries, Vietnam has joined the Commitment to Reduce Global Methane Emissions by 2030; joined 140 countries in the Leaders' Glasgow Declaration on Forests and Land Use; together with 48 countries participating in the Global Declaration on the transition of coal power to clean energy; joined the Global Adaptation Action Coalition…
The project “Climate and mangrove protection combined with income improvement for vulnerable communities (VM069)” was implemented in Mui Ca Mau National Park, Tam Giang’s Forest Protection Department (FPD) aims to strengthen biodiversity protection, develop mangroves afforesting, promote carbon sequestration, enhance climate resilience, and ensure sustainable livelihoods for the poor and vulnerable communities in the Mekong Delta.
The project summary meeting was held on March 18, 2022, at the hall of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Ca Mau province, with the participation of representatives of the Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD) – the project implementing group, Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Forest Protection Department, the Agricultural Extension Center, the representatives of the district and commune authorities, along with a large number of members of the Forestry Self-management Group, the Farmer Interest Group.
After one year of implementation, the project “Climate and mangrove protection combined with income improvement for vulnerable communities (VM069)” has achieved impressive initial results. 14 Village Forestry Self-Management Groups (VSFMGs) have newly been established and coming into operation at the hamlet level. The establishment will enhance community participation in supporting the Forest Management Department to protect and develop mangroves. The groups are equipped with GPS devices, forest costumes, training courses about the role of mangroves, climate change, along with skills in implementing forest monitoring using mobile software. The group activities aim to improve the ability to develop and accumulate carbon, absorb greenhouse gases, and perfect the coordinated system of mangrove management from the province to the locality while promoting the role of the community in the implementation of coordinated forest management and protection.
To ensure income stability and sustainable livelihood, 14 Farmer Interest Groups (FG) were assigned to households that have received forest land allocation/contract, and 2 others have also been established for families without productive land. The interest group aims to improve production and business capacity, prevent natural disasters, respond to climate change, learn new livelihood models, and pilot productive activities that bring higher economic efficiency for members. In addition, the group's activities will contribute to strengthening forest protection by limiting illegal logging and forest law violations, creating favorable conditions for eco-friendly aquaculture and climate in the mangroves. In the first year, the members of the FG groups participated in technical training in aquaculture under the forest canopy and business accounting held within the framework of the project. Blood clams and Vop farming model combined with shrimp farming have also been implemented in 80 households in Ca Mau Cape National Park, Tam Giang’s FPDB, which are growing and adapting well to the environment. Sustainable aquaculture under the mangrove canopy will be the key to sustainable adaptation to climate change. Through these activities, fishermen have the opportunity to understand the process of aquaculture under the forest canopy, the techniques of raising clams, Vop in combination with shrimp to improve economic efficiency, as well as business planning techniques, production cost accounting, and product marketing. Solidarity and association between the groups are vital in contributing to the project's success.
During the project, SRD has received enormous support and coordination from partners and local people while implementing the project activities.
A representative of Ca Mau Department of Science and Technology shared, “I am very impressed with the goals of the project, especially the goal of increasing carbon stocks, investigating and surveying carbon reserves. In the upcoming time, I hope the project continues to research, develop, and coordinate with specialized agencies to achieve this goal”.
Mr. Tran An, representative of the Self-Management Group at Tam Giang said, “We are very pleased and grateful to SRD and local agencies for developing and implementing the project locally. We will actively participate in the project by preserving and protecting the forest while supporting the FPDB in developing mangroves and protecting our future livelihoods.”
Regarding the models of farming clams and Vop under the forest canopy, the representative of the households that are being supported showing appreciation for the project and the coordinating units for surveying and supporting pilot production in the locality. The households pledged to contribute efforts, strictly implement the technical process, and closely coordinate with the project to impart experience and replicate the model in the FG. In the future, FG also hopes to form production chain linkage, develop output for products and improve the production and business efficiency of households.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic broke out heroically in the project area and the whole country in the first year of the project, SRD, in collaboration with implementing partners and local people, has overcome difficulties and brought positive results to the community of Ca Mau Cape National Park, Tam Giang FPDB. In the upcoming time, SRD will continue striving for the implementation of the activities and actualizing the project's objectives.
SRD also appreciate the journalists, editors, and press agencies for their interest in reporting on the project's activities:
Một năm hoạt động của Dự án VM069 tại Cà Mau (camau.gov.vn)
Kết quả thực hiện Dự án VM069 (camau.gov.vn)
Tăng thu nhập cho người dân từ Dự án VM069 (baocamau.com.vn)
Cà Mau: Tăng thu nhập cho người dân từ Dự án VM069 (doanhnghiephoinhap.vn)
Báo Cà Mau - Bài viết | Facebook
800.000 euro cho dự án bảo vệ rừng ngập mặn (tapchimoitruong.vn)
Chung tay bảo vệ, tái sinh rừng ngập mặn (consosukien.vn)
Khởi động dự án VM069 (camau.gov.vn)
Khởi động dự án 800.000 EUR bảo vệ rừng ngập mặn, nâng thu nhập người nghèo Cà Mau - VietNamNet
Centre for Sustainable Rural Development (SRD)
No.31, Alley 19 Kim Dong Street, Hoang Mai District, Ha Noi
Phone: +84 24 3943 6676/78 | Fax: +84 24 3943 6449
