Rice damaged by severe drought in the Mekong Delta Province of Long An in 2020. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — A new project is expected to improve the resilience of the Mekong Delta region against the severe impacts of climate change.

The project, "Việt Nam Nature-based Solutions for Adaptation in Agriculture through Private Sector Transformation” (VN-ADAPT), has been jointly launched by the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

The Mekong Delta region has long been the largest agricultural production hub of Việt Nam, which helps Việt Nam ensure national food security and exports.

The region contributes 31.37 per cent to the country’s agricultural GDP, and accounts for 50 per cent of total rice production, 65 per cent of aquaculture production, 70 per cent of fruit output, 95 per cent of the country’s rice exports and 60 per cent of the country’s fish exports.

Due to the impacts of climate change, the region has suffered severe drought, rising sea levels and saltwater intrusion, making agricultural production more difficult.

SNV Country Director in Việt Nam Peter Loach said that SNV hopes that the VN-ADAPT project will seek solutions for conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystems, thus helping to improve the livelihoods of local people, and towards smart agriculture that adapts to climate change.

Lê Ngọc Tuấn, head of the International Cooperation Department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, said that Việt Nam is one of the countries heavily affected by climate change. At the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), the Vietnamese Prime Minister made a strong commitment to the international community to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and Việt Nam has been proactively and seriously implementing the commitment.

The PM has recently approved the national strategy against climate change until 2050 with an aim to effectively adapt to climate change, while reducing vulnerability and the damage it causes.

The VN-ADAPT project is hoped to help promote nature-based solutions in the agricultural sector and speed up the transformation of production practices in key regions, including the Mekong Delta, to help them better adapt to climate change. — VNS