Mekong Delta Province to Spend $5.7M in 2017 to Deal with Climate Change

The Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh will spend VND130 billion ($5.7 million) this year as part of a project titled Adaptation to Climate Change in the Mekong Delta (AMD) which aims to help local farmers switch to sustainable production models to adapt with climate change. Of the amount, VND29 billion will come from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as non-refundable aid, VND58 billion is sourced by IFAD loans while the remaining VND21 billion will come from the province’s budget. Head of the Project Management Board Huynh Nghia Tho said the project has focused on developing sustainable livelihoods through vocational training and multiplying sustainable agricultural production models in the context of increasing salt intrusion and drought. Last year, the AMD disbursed more than VND180 billion for its activities in Tra Vinh. As a result, 15 production models were built with the engagement of 113 households. Some models produced high economic value, such as the farming of shrimp and tilapia in Don Chau commune in Duyen Hai district which brought more than VND500 million in profit per hectare. The AMD in Tra Vinh is being implemented in 30 communes between 2014 and 2020, benefiting around 15,000 poor and near-poor households. The total budget is VND521 billion, with VND233.5 billion sourced by loans from IFAD, VND126.5 billion in IFAD non-refundable grant and VND79.5 billion coming from the province’s budget. Beneficiaries contribute around VND81.5 billion. Its main objective is to develop sustainable livelihoods for the rural poor in the face of changing climate and to enhance the target communities’ capacities to adapt to climate change. (baotintuc.vn Feb 16)