Today, the US Mission to Vietnam, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Mekong Delta provinces held a launching ceremony for the Mekong Delta Coastal Ecosystem Protection Project.
With a budget of US$2.9 million, the project aims to help reduce threats to biodiversity and coastal fisheries resources, as well as enhance the resilience of coastal areas to climate change in the Mekong Delta region.
USAID Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs speaks at the event. (Photo: USAID Vietnam)
The project is implemented in collaboration with partners including central agencies of Vietnam, local authorities, enterprises, marine protected area management boards, development partners and fishing communities.
“Today’s project launch advances our shared priority with Vietnam to enhance climate resilience in the vital but increasingly vulnerable Mekong Delta region, while also contributing to the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs said at the event.
The Mekong Delta and its coastal ecosystems are home to 70% of Vietnam’s mangrove forests and 90% of its seagrass beds. Filled with sediments and nutrients from the Mekong River, the region provides a favorable environment for the development of the richest aquatic resources in Vietnam while protecting coastal communities from storm surges and the impacts of climate change.
However, these habitats and many commercially important aquatic species (such as sea bass and snapper) face multiple threats that have long-term impacts on livelihoods and lives.
Through the new project, the United States supports Vietnam in restoring and conserving coastal biodiversity, enhancing sustainable management of marine resources to reduce illegal fishing, and improving the resilience of local coastal communities to the impacts of climate change.
The event demonstrates the US commitment to expanding assistance in the Mekong Delta and throughout Vietnam, in line with the two countries' shared priorities under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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