Vietnam, Germany Sign EUR3M Deal for Coastal Resources Management

The German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and authorities of Vietnam’s Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang signed an aid agreement worth EUR3 million for a coastal natural resources management project on Sept 8. The project will focus on boosting the management and exploitation capacity of coastal residents and promoting the suitable use of coastal natural resources as well as restore the ecological environment. The project, to be carried in the 2011-2013 period, will initially benefit the districts of Vinh Chau, Tran De and Cu Lao Dung where will receive the support of sustainable ecological system management amid the climate change. Earlier, the government has also approved the second phase of a GIZ-funded poverty reduction project in order to improve living standards of local residents in the two provinces of Tra Vinh and Ha Tinh. GIZ, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, has assisted Vietnam in poverty reduction and reform process since 1993. (Thoi Bao Kinh Te – Economic Times Sept 9 p2, Vietnam News Sept 9)