A local resident taking part in the IUCN project "Strengthening Resilience through Sustainable Livelihood Support and Mangrove Forest Restoration in the Coastal Area of Vĩnh Long Province" plant mangrove forests. — Photo courtesy of IUCN

VĨNH LONG — The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Vĩnh Long Province People's Committee have launched a three-year project in Duyên Hải Ward, Trường Long Hoà Ward and Đông Hải Commune to combat climate change, restore mangrove forests and create livelihoods for local people through a shrimp-forest farming model.

The project, "Strengthening Resilience through Sustainable Livelihood Support and Mangrove Forest Restoration in the Coastal Area of Vĩnh Long Province", was approved by the Vĩnh Long Province People's Committee for implementation from April 2026 to December 2028, with total funding of VNĐ6.5 billion (US$246,798).

A representative of the Vĩnh Long Province Sub-department of Forest Protection and Biodiversity said the merged province has 16,121ha of forested land, of which 15,815ha meet the standard for forest coverage, with a coverage rate of 2.3 per cent.

A large proportion of this forest is coastal mangrove, located mostly in Duyên Hải Ward, which holds a significant role in coastal protection and climate change adaptation.

However, the mangrove forest in the area is under pressure from climate change, including sea level rise, strong storms and frequent high tides, which are reducing the forest's capacity to recover.

In addition, investment resources for forest restoration remain limited, while research and the application of science and technology, sustainable forest management, carbon inventories and green finance mobilisation are still being developed.

The province has launched a number of solutions to protect and develop forests, including integrating forestry planning into the provincial master plan, mobilising socialised resources for planting and restoring mangrove forests, and implementing a number of international cooperation projects such as those with IUCN.

According to IUCN, the coastal area of Vĩnh Long Province has strengths in aquaculture development, as it is among the localities holding a huge area of mangrove forests in the Mekong Delta.

However, the aquaculture sector here is facing challenges, particularly in shrimp farming, such as disease, seed quality, feed and veterinary drug prices, product selling prices, small-scale production, and low technical farming standards.

Restoring and expanding the mangrove forest belt in combination with ecological aquaculture will help create a natural buffer zone protecting estuaries and coastal areas, reduce the impact of erosion, and mitigate the harm caused by climate change to aquaculture.

Therefore, the IUCN project aims to plant 10 hectares of mangrove forests in the province's coastal protection forest outside the dyke and 10 hectares inside the dyke, totalling 20,000 mangrove trees, combined with a shrimp-forest farming model for local residents.

It will support around 15 households to carry out forest planting inside the dyke and implement a model of black tiger shrimp farming combined within the planted forest.

Through this, the project will contribute to increasing forest coverage on cultivated land, indirectly improving the environment through nature-based solutions, and improving and stabilising livelihoods and incomes for local people.

Lý Minh Hoàng, a local resident of Trường Long Hòa Ward taking part in the project with a total forest area of five hectares to be planted, said many locals here are very willing to join the project because it suits local conditions and brings value to the community.

He added that the project would support him with shrimp and crab seeds, technical assistance, and improvement of the farming area.

The kick-off ceremony of the IUCN project on forest restoration and livelihood creation for local people through forest planting in Vĩnh Long Province on July 28. — VNS Photo Hồng Linh

At the kick-off of the project on July 28, IUCN also held a workshop for 25 local households to introduce the role of seed quality in the mangrove aquaculture model, along with the role of probiotics and mineral supplementation in the mangrove aquaculture model.

It also featured the topic of the biodiversity conservation value of mangrove forests and solutions for planting forests in extensive aquaculture ponds, as well as the shrimp-forest model and related certifications. — VNS