The prime minister has approved two projects on adapting to climate change impacts in the Mekong Delta region using $34-million loans from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
The projects with $17 million each in IFDA loan will be carried out in eight districts of Tra Vinh province and seven districts in Ben Tre province in the 2014-2020 period. The projects costing total $50 million aim to raise people’s capacity in climate change response and improve their livelihoods through economic activities. The Mekong Delta region, Vietnam’s largest rice granary and aquaculture, is forecast to suffer heavily from severe flooding caused by rising sea levels. If sea level rises by 100cm, up to 92% of areas in the region will be underwater for six to eight months yearly, according to a recent report by the United Nations Development Program. (Nong Nghiep Viet Nam Nov 2, http://baodientu.chinhphu.vn [1] Nov 22)
