The US$ 4 million project, funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme - Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, will be implemented in 15 coastal communes in Binh Dai, Thanh Phu and Ba Tri districts of Ben Tre province.
Ben Tre is one of the provinces most vulnerable to climate change and has been experiencing rising sea levels, flooding, salt water intrusion, typhoons, droughts, increased temperatures, and changes in precipitation, which has had a huge impact on agriculture, incomes and drinking water sources.
To respond to the situation, the project will focus on increasing effective participatory disaster risk management with local communities; raising incomes and food security for poor people through promoting adaptation and diversified livelihoods; and reducing water borne diseases by providing clean water supply systems.
The project aims to increase community resilience to natural disasters and and adaptablilty climate change in coastal communities of the Mekong Delta. Approximately 100,000 people will benefit directly from the project; around 1,000 Government officials at the commune, district and province levels will gain more knowledge about supporting communities; and another 300,000 people in the area will benefit indirectly from emergency preparedness and livelihood adaptation activities promoted during the project.
“Our project supports people for increasing their participation voice in their future, improving their incomes, and building their capacity and resilience” said Oxfam Associate Country Director Le Kim Dung.
“This is the second time New Zealand has joined the Government’s efforts to address natural disaster and climate change risks in the country,” according to First Secretary of Development at the New Zealand embassy in Hanoi, Kathryn Beckett.
“Improving resilience and responding to natural disasters is one of the four priority areas in the New Zealand Aid Programme, and we hope this project will be a success and offer a good model for other provinces in Vietnam and for countries in the region,” she added.