The Mekong Delta suffers from severe drought and salinity intrusion in 2016 (Photo: VNA) Can Tho (VNA) – The European Union (EU)and European countries have been carrying out a number of climate changeadaptation and sustainable development projects in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam.
The biggest partners and donors are the EU,Germany, France, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary and Romania, according to the ForeignMinistry’s information released at the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Conference onClimate Action to Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – Ways Forward inCan Tho city on June 18-20.
Specifically, the EU implemented a projectbuilding a sustainable tra fish (pangasius) supply chain from April 2013 toMarch 2017 with total investment of 1.9 million EUR (2.2 million USD) andanother conducting scientific studies on climate change and coastal erosion inQuang Nam, Ca Mau, and Tien Giang provinces in 2016-2017 worth 1 million EUR(1.15 million USD).
The EU also carried out a 108-million-EUR EnergySector Policy Support Programme to increase access to sustainable energyin rural, mountainous, sea and island areas in Bac Lieu, An Giang, and Can Tho.
In Ca Mau, the German and Australian governmentsco-financed 68.39 billion VND (2.9 million USD) in official developmentassistance (ODA) for a project under the Integrated Coastal Management andClimate Change and Coastal Ecosystems Programme (ICM/CCEP) and authorised theGerman development cooperation agency (GIZ) to implement.
The German government also funded Ca Mau 1million EUR to implement a project on restoration of mangroves throughsustainable shrimp farming and emission reduction.
Ca Mau province is also making preparations tocarry out a project combining coastal protection and mangrove forest landrestoration using loans of about 331 billion VND (14.5 million USD) from theGerman development bank KfW.
In Soc Trang province, the German government iscarrying out the second phase of the project on natural resources management incoastal areas from September 2014 to August 2018.
Germany also provided a non-refundable aidpackage of 5.1 million EUR (5.9 million USD) for Bac Lieu province to conducttwo projects on the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems, second phasefrom 2015 to 2018, and on climate change adaptation through promotingbiodiversity.
Meanwhile, the French government offered 52.35million EUR (60.6 million USD) in loans, including 1 million EUR in non-refundableaid, for the implementation of a project enhancing climate change resiliencefor areas prone to extreme climate patterns and rising sea level in Can Thocity along with Ninh Binh northern province and the central province of Ha Tinh.
The Danish government supported Mekong Deltaprovinces to cope with environmental changes through the national targetprogramme on climate change in 2009-2015.
Denmark has become the biggest donor with around40 million USD in assisting the Mekong Delta, especially Ben Tre province, in pilotingmeasures to prevent saltwater intrusion prevention and climate change adaptationmodels such as building flood-proof houses, irrigation networks, salt-to-freshwater treatment factories, and automatic rain gauging stations, contributing tothe improvement of the natural disaster warning system.
The European country also spent over 4.3 millionDKK (668,091 USD) to provide water by renewable energy in 2012-2014 for ruralareas in 12 provinces in the Mekong Delta.
From 2011, the Danish government has supportedVietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to implement a projectassisting the agricultural sector, including the improvement of post-harvestservices for households in the Mekong Delta, which increased the proportion of driedrice to 31 percent of total output from 13 percent in the previous time.
In An Giang province, the Swedish governmentimplemented a project enhancing local capacity and building a scheme for thedevelopment of rice husk-fuelled thermal power plants in combination with ricemilling plants in 2014-2015 with a budget of nearly 345,000 EUR (399,506 USD),including nearly 105,000 EUR (121,588 USD) in local corresponding capital.
The Romanian government carried out a projectpiloting the establishment of a biodiversity conservation site for sustainableeco-tourism development in Ba Tri district of Ben Tre province.
The Mekong Deltacomprises 12 provinces and one centrally-run city of Can Tho.-VNA
VNA
