Australia and Germany help the Mekong Delta protect coastal ecosystems and tackle climate change

Rach Gia, 03.06.2011 – The Australian and German Governments today have signed an agreement to continue their partnership in the Mekong Delta under an expanded program to help Viet Nam manage and protect its coastal ecosystems, which includes responding to the impacts of climate change.

The five-year Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems Program (CCCEP) will be implemented under a Delegated Cooperation Arrangement between Australia and Germany, and will cover the provinces of An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Kien Giang and Soc Trang. The Program will also include a national level component to support central policy development and resourcing decisions based on experiences in the target provinces.

Australia, through AusAID, will contribute A$23 million (US$24.3 million) to this program and Germany commits US$14.1 million in technical cooperation. CCCEP will be implemented by GIZ, Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit. In addition, Germany has committed US$25.3 million of financial cooperation implemented by KfW.

“Australia is expanding its assistance to Viet Nam, as one of the countries to be most affected by climate change, for adaptation to a changing climate and for transition to low carbon development in line with global efforts” says Mr Michael Wilson, AusAID Minister-Counsellor. “In the Mekong Delta, Australia will continue to work in partnership with Germany and local governments in joint efforts towards responding to the impacts of climate change and promoting sustainable livelihoods for local communities.”

“The Vietnamese-Australian-German cooperation is an excellent example on how donor countries can jointly help Viet Nam to mitigate the impacts of climate change” says Ms. Fisel-Roesle, Consular Attachée from the German Consulate General HCMC.

The Climate Change and Coastal Ecosystems Program, building on existing work in Bac Lieu, Soc Trang and Kien Giang, will provide practical solutions to address the range of environmental hazards being faced in coastal ecosystems. Provincial climate change adaptation plans will be developed to include activities such as mangrove rehabilitation and coastal forest protection measures, promotion of alternative income opportunities for communities dependent on coastal forests, demonstration of alternative farming practices and improved dyke construction and management.

Mr. Jochem Lange, Country Director of GIZ in Viet Nam, resumes “All these issues demonstrate the complexity of Climate Change challenges, which cannot be solved by a single entity and have to be addressed in a holistic and coordinated approach”.

The program is expected to run from July 2011 till June 2016.
 

Contact:
Tran Nam Anh (Mr.)

Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
Australian Embassy
8 Dao Tan Street
Hanoi, Viet Nam
T: +84 4 3774 0211
F: +84 4 3831 7706
E: [email protected]