Organisers tap virtual buttons on the screen to launch the programme. — VNS Photo Trần Như

Trần Như

HÀ NỘI — The European Union and Germany on Friday launched a €20 million (US$23 million) initiative to help Việt Nam conserve and sustainably manage its natural forests, as part of a broader push to strengthen the country's climate resilience and rural livelihoods.

The Forestry Support Programme, unveiled at a ceremony in Hà Nội, will run through 2030 and focus on five provinces: Sơn La, Điện Biên, Quảng Ngãi, Gia Lai and Đắk Lắk.

It is jointly implemented by the Vietnam Administration of Forestry (VNFOREST) and the German Development Agency GIZ, and is co-financed by the EU and Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The programme will run alongside a separate €7.5 million ($8.6 million) German-funded project, launched earlier this year, supporting conservation and ecosystem financing in Việt Nam's special-use and protection forests.

VNFOREST Director Trần Quang Bảo said the forestry sector sustains the livelihoods of millions of Vietnamese people who are engaged in forest protection and planting and timber processing, while playing a central role in the country's climate and economic goals.

He said the programme would prioritise natural forest restoration, sustainable management and climate adaptation in the northwest and Central Highlands, regions with significant forest-dependent populations.

According to the official, the programme centres on three priorities: restoring and sustainably managing natural forests in the face of climate change; developing greener, more inclusive forest-based supply chains that ensure fair participation and gender equality; and strengthening legal frameworks and technical capacity to scale up nature-based solutions nationwide.

On the ground, it will promote integrated forest management, community-based forest protection, digital tools for biodiversity monitoring and sustainable livelihood models – efforts officials say will boost forests' capacity to absorb carbon, cut greenhouse gas emissions, preserve biodiversity and strengthen resilience to climate change.

Kristina Buende, head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Việt Nam, said the country's forests are critical to climate action, water and soil protection, and the livelihoods of roughly 25 million people, even as climate impacts, forest degradation and biodiversity loss put those ecosystems at risk.

She said the EU and its member states were backing the effort through a 'Team Europe' approach, standing with Việt Nam to protect and restore forests for people, nature and a resilient, low-carbon future.

Forest rangers and tree growers talk after a patrol in a forest in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai. — VNA/VNS Photo

Michael Lehmann, deputy head of cooperation at the German Embassy in Hà Nội, called the launch "a full circle moment", noting he had previously managed the forest portfolio at BMZ before taking up his post in Việt Nam.

He said the ceremony marked more than the start of a new project – it was another milestone in a Việt Nam-Germany partnership, under the wider Team Europe framework, that has grown steadily for more than three decades.

Lehmann said Germany's combined technical and financial support for Việt Nam's forestry sector now totals nearly €100 million ($115 million), with the focus not simply on expanding forest cover but on ensuring forests remain healthy, protected and inclusively managed.

He said Germany added €3 million ($3.5 million) to its bilateral cooperation with Việt Nam during government-to-government negotiations in 2023 specifically to help launch the EU-co-financed programme.

The new initiative builds on decades of German-Vietnamese cooperation on forest governance and biodiversity, Lehmann said, including two projects completed last year on sustainable management of forest plantations and on ensuring legal, transparent timber sourcing under the EU-Vietnam Voluntary Partnership Agreement on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade.

Those achievements, he said, provided a solid foundation for the programme launched on Friday.

He added that Germany supports similar forestry and landscape initiatives in partner countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America, working with governments, local communities, research institutions and the private sector to develop science-based, inclusive solutions.

The Forestry Support Programme draws on that global experience while responding directly to Việt Nam's own priorities, emphasising locally owned, scientifically grounded solutions built through long-term partnership, he said.

Lehmann said that over the next five years, Germany and its partners will work with local, provincial and national authorities to promote sustainable forest management, with lessons from pilot activities expected to feed into national policy and capacity-building efforts.

He noted that the programme would also support Việt Nam's commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, and complement an ongoing German-backed project on managing protected areas with diverse ecosystems across the country.

According to Lehmann, no single institution can address environmental challenges alone. Success will depend on cooperation between Government authorities, international experts, local communities and the private sector, he said.

He added that the programme's impact would ultimately be measured not only by the policies it produces, but by tangible improvements in forest health and the extent of engagement from local stakeholders and communities on the ground. — VNS