Ha Noi, 28 May 2021 – Following the approval from the Prime Minister and the consensus of the PPCs of the 5 provinces of 5 provinces Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed the project document for the new initiative, entitled “Strengthening the Resilience of Smallholder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast Regions of Viet Nam.”  

The project is financed by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with a grant of US$30.2 million, following the enormous effort to mobilize finance, led by the Ministry of Planning and Investment, as Viet Nam’s NDA to the GCF, together with MARD. The project leveraged co-financing of $126 million from the ADB and Government of Viet Nam on modernized irrigation infrastructure.  

The awarding of the project  reflects the effort of the Government of Viet Nam and UNDP in leveraging finances for more effective investment in climate resilience. This is the third  nonrefundable grant project for Viet Nam that is financially supported by GCF and technically supported by UNDP.

Led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the project will be implemented between 2021 and 2026 by the five participating Provinces of Dak Lak, Dak, Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa. The initiative will directly benefit more than 222,400 women and men in the five provinces (around 10% of the population of the target provinces)  with climate-resilient irrigation , improved water security and livelihood options, increased knowledge of climate risks and resilient agricultural techniques, and access to localized climate advisories and market information, and indirectly benefit more than 335,000 women and men with enhanced access to climate risk information,  weather, market and agricultural advisories and widespread dissemination of best practices in climate-resilient agriculture.

“UNDP is proud of our strong partnership with the Government of Viet Nam for mobilizing international climate finance to accelerate national efforts for building the resilience of communities vulnerable to climate change, with three GCF projects. The project we launch today will support poor and near poor farmers in the Central Highlands and South-Central coastal regions adapt to increasingly severe droughts, exacerbated by climate change. This complements the ongoing GCF project UNDP supports in 28 coastal provinces for building the resilience of poor communities vulnerable to floods and storms,” said Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam.

Viet Nam is particularly vulnerable to climate change. The Central Highlands and South-Central Coast are expected to experience wetter wet seasons and drier dry seasons with an increased risk of severe droughts. Accordingly, farmers face reduced crop productivity, which in turn is impacting food security and incomes.

"Viet Nam is among the countries most affected by climate change and extreme weather events such as floods and droughts are occurring more frequently. This innovative project will address the critical issues of water insecurity for smallholder agriculture and will support our farmers, especially women, ethnic minority and poor farmers, to become more resilient to cope with increasing climate risks to agricultural production,"  said Mr. Nguyen Hoang Hiep, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

“This project will address the emerging needs of the farmers, not just in Ninh Thuan Province, but in the five project provinces,” said Mr. Le Huyen, Vice-Chairman of Ninh Thuan People’s Committee.  “Through this project, farmers will gain access to stable water sources and be better equipped with advanced farming techniques for effective climate smart agriculture production that will be needed for continued economic development.”

The GCF approval of this project is evidence of the Government of Viet Nam’s capacity to mobilize climate finance to build climate resilience of the country and highlights the proactive coordination and decisive role of the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), as Viet Nam’s National Designated Authority to the GCF.

More information, please kindly contact:

Phan Huong Giang | CCE Media & Communications Analyst, UNDP Viet Nam
Ph. +84 24 38500136 | phan.huong.giang@undp.org

Mr. Nguyen Manh Ngoc | Project Manager, Central Project Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
Ph. +84  09 12215110 | mngoccpo@yahoo.com

Additional Notes to Editors

• Agriculture and water resources are the foundation of the livelihoods of about 64% of the people in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, especially ethnic minorities. Around 48% of the people in the South-Central Coast region rely on agriculture for their livelihoods.
• The Central Highlands are susceptible to changes in water availability in the dry season when there is little rain and low river flow. Only about 27.8% of the region’s agricultural land is irrigated.
• The South-Central Coast is the driest area of the country with a long dry season, the lowest rainfall, and a relatively small river system. Only around 30% of agricultural land is irrigated.
• Link to Green Climate Fund-financed projects in Viet Nam