USAID helps Vietnam's climate change fight with two new projects

The Sustainable Forest Management project, implemented by U.S.-based economic and social development firm DAI Global, would help reduce carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation and poor timber plantation management in Vietnam, USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) said.

It would also help strengthen Vietnamese law enforcement’s ability to combat forest crimes like illegal logging, improve the livelihoods of 60,000 people in forest-dwelling communities and bolster the management of more than 250,000 ha of forest, it added.

The Biodiversity Conservation project, implemented by international NGO World Wildlife Fund, would protect critical ecosystems and build resilience against the impacts of climate change, increase forest quality and protect wildlife populations.

It is also expected to improve community patrol teams’ ability to detect and deter wildlife trafficking, improve economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities and bolster the management of around 700,000 ha of forest.

Both projects are expected to help conserve over 950,000 ha of forests across 12 Vietnam provinces, contributing to the climate change fight through promoting biodiversity and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

At an online climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden last Friday, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam was committed to reducing emissions and promoting sustainable energy development.

Vietnam will reduce 9 percent of its greenhouse gas emissions using domestic resources, or 27 percent with international assistance. It would also continue reducing the use of thermal power and increase that of sustainable energy sources towards the latter accounting for 30 percent of the nation's total primary energy sources by 2045. Vietnam will also internalize international treaties on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the president said.