Participants at the ceremony to launch the project (Photo: VNA)

Kien
Giang (VNA) – A project funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to conserve coastal
habitat in the Mekong Delta region was launched at
a ceremony in Kien Giang on March 15.

The event was jointly organised by the mission of the US Embassy
in Vietnam, through USAID, the leadership of the Directorate of Fisheries under
the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), local authorities in the
Mekong Delta region, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the World Wide
Fund for Nature in Vietnam (WWF Vietnam).

Addressing the event, Tran
Dinh Luan, General Director of the Department of
Fisheries, underlined the orientation to develop the fisheries sector towards
market-driven approaches; environmental friendliness; protection, regeneration,
and sustainable development of fisheries resources; biodiversity conservation; and climate change adaptation.

The
project aims to protect important coastal ecosystems in Mekong Delta, focusing
on activities in Kien Giang and Soc Trang provinces, to address challenges and
enhance the effectiveness of marine resources management, thus improving resilience to
climate change and conserving biodiversity.

The Mekong Delta and its coastal ecosystems are
home to 70% of Vietnam’s mangroves and 90% of its seagrass beds. Fed by the
sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, these habitats support Vietnam’s
richest fishing grounds, create livelihoods for coastal communities and provide
crucial protection for them from natural disasters.

However, they and
many commercially important species are under growing threats, causing long-term impacts
on livelihoods and the lives of the local population. Coastal areas in Vietnam
are also facing pressure from overexploitation and unplanned development.

The project is expected to strengthen the
management of marine resources to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated
fishing activities, and conserve and expand coastal and marine biodiversity of
the Mekong Delta, which will also strengthen the coastal resilience of local
communities. 

With
a total budget of 2.9 million USD, the project will concentrate on reducing
threats to coastal biodiversity and fisheries, and strengthening coastal
resilience in the Mekong Delta, in partnership with the Vietnamese Government,
local authorities, businesses, management boards of marine protected areas, development
partners, and fishing communities. 

According to Director of USAID Vietnam Aler Grubbs, the project
is expected to advance the shared priorities of USAID and Vietnam in strengthening
resilience to climate change in the Mekong Delta region, which plays a crucial
role but is increasingly vulnerable to threats; and contribute to the Vietnam –
US Comprehensive strategic partnership.

Dr. Andrew Wyatt, Director of the project and Deputy Head of IUCN Lower Mekong Sub-region, stated that the project
will pilot measures to conserve and restore natural resources in the region, then scaling up nationwide. Through the project, USAID will support Vietnam in restoring and
conserving biodiversity in coastal areas, enhancing marine resource management
towards sustainable fisheries development./.