The project is funded by the Adaptation Fund through UNEP, with a total budget of 07 million USD for Viet Nam and Thailand. Of this, the Viet Nam component has a total capital of over 2.5 million USD, focusing on implementation at Tram Chim National Park, Dong Thap province.

Ms. Jessica Troni - Head of the Climate Change Adaptation Unit at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) presented an overview of the Project.

According to UNEP representatives, the Project aims to restore wetland ecosystems, enhance climate change adaptation capacity, conserve biodiversity, and develop sustainable livelihoods for local communities. Accordingly, Dong Thap is considered a locality with many wetlands of high biodiversity value, notably the Tram Chim Ramsar site. Currently, the province is implementing the Sarus Crane Conservation and Development Project at Tram Chim National Park. The objectives of the Vietnam component are closely linked to the Sarus Crane Conservation and Development Project as well as the Project for Sustainable Development of One Million Hectares of High-Quality, Low-Emission Rice Cultivation that the province is implementing.

At the working session, the parties discussed finalizing the legal framework for the project, focusing on coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment and specialized agencies to clarify regulations related to the implementation of the Vietnam Component. At the same time, the parties continued to finalize the draft PCA Agreement and Technical Support Document based on feedback from relevant agencies.

Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, spoke at the working session.

Speaking at the working session, Mr. Nguyen Phuoc Thien, Vice Chairman of the Dong Thap Provincial People's Committee, sincerely thanked UNEP, IUCN, and international partners for their interest and companionship with the locality during the project preparation process; he also emphasized that this is an important occasion for the parties to agree on the direction and implementation roadmap for the coming time.

The Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee affirmed that the province will continue to coordinate with ministries, sectors, international organizations, and relevant parties to resolve existing difficulties and obstacles, thereby bringing the project into implementation soon. The project is expected to contribute to enhancing climate change resilience, conserving wetland ecosystems, and promoting the sustainable value of Tram Chim National Park in the coming time.

Provincial leaders and the delegation took a commemorative photo at the working session

Tran Thi