USAID Launches Two Projects Worth $74 Million to Help Vietnam Address the Climate Crisis

Washington: The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is launching two new projects worth $74 million over five years, subject to the availability of funds, to help Vietnam contribute to addressing the global climate crisis. These new projects will help conserve a forest area nearly the size of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. Healthier, fuller forests, coupled with strong biodiversity, is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The planned $36 million Sustainable Forest Management project, implemented by DAI Global, will reduce carbon emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and poor timber plantation management practices in seven provinces. The project is expected to strengthen Vietnamese law enforcement’s ability to combat forest crimes- such as illegal logging, improve the livelihoods of 60,000 people in forest-dwelling communities, and reinforce the management of more than 250,000 hectares of forest.

The planned $38 million Biodiversity Conservation project, implemented by the World Wildlife Fund, will protect critical ecosystems to build resilience against the impacts of climate change, maintain and increase forest quality, and protect and stabilize wildlife populations. The project is expected to improve the ability of community patrol teams to detect and deter wildlife trafficking, improve economic opportunities for forest-dependent communities, and strengthen the management of 700,000 hectares of forest.

These activities build upon over a decade of USAID’s partnership with the Government of Vietnam, the private sector, and other partners to protect forests and biodiversity, counter wildlife trafficking, and curb environmental pollution to mitigate the effects of climate change.