HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach – August 2, 2023 – A World Bank delegation led by Anna Wellenstein, Regional Director for Sustainable Development for East Asia and the Pacific, held a working session with the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) where the leaders of the two parties exchanged information and discussed six key areas of cooperation and continued to open up opportunities for cooperation in the future.
The working session between the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank on July 10. Photo: Thanh Thuy.
As the project with the greatest impact on sustainable development,
Mekong Delta Climate Resilience and Integrated Transformation Project (MERIT) aims to build water infrastructure for the Mekong Delta. MARD will continue to work closely with the World Bank and local authorities in the future to provide cross-regional leadership for sustainable development.
Anna Wellenstein, Regional Director of Sustainable Development for East Asia and the Pacific, spoke highly of MARD’s efforts over the past period. Photo: Linh Linh.
In the forestry sector, The World Bank is currently cooperating and supporting Vietnam in the implementation of the “Forest Sector Modernization and Coastal Resilience Enhancement Project” to improve coastal forest management and the “Reductions Payment Agreement”. (ERPA) for the North-Central Region of Vietnam” which provides payment for forest protection and restoration initiatives.
The Regional Director of Sustainable Development for East Asia and the Pacific further spoke highly of MARD’s achievements in monitoring and reducing emissions, as well as the responsibility of the Vietnamese people in protecting forests. She announced that Vietnam would receive a total of $41.2 million, which is the largest amount disbursed by the EAP Carbon Fund when the official emission reduction verification report was released.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said Vietnam will ensure adequate mechanisms and budget sources for the fair and transparent implementation of the emission reduction program benefit-sharing plan.
For MARD’s new project for the development of one million hectares of high-quality, low-emission rice based on the success of VnSAT, who won the 2023 East Asia Awards from the World Bank, Minister Le Minh Hoan acknowledged the support of the World Bank and showed his willingness to promote dialogue between MARD and the WB to attract the attention of ministries, sectors, companies and farmers.
About the Dam Safety Improvement and Repair Project and the upcoming Strategic Partnership under the Water Sector Cooperation (VWE) Program, Anna Wellenstein affirms the central role of MARD in the project, helping to implement the national action plan.
For its part, MARD has highly appreciated the support of the World Bank in Vietnam and the cooperation has produced significant results. MARD is ready to work closely with the World Bank, ministries, branches and localities to build a cross-sectoral coordination mechanism for the effective implementation of the Politburo of Vietnam Conclusion No. 36-KL/TW on water security and dam and reservoir security.
In particular, in the context of climate change, the Department of Water Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam is developing a plan to respond to El Nino, prevent natural disasters and ensure water security in submit to the government.
The World Bank is willing to support the agenda and development of public-private data sharing policies and practices in addition to upgrading local infrastructure to help farmers transform their livelihoods and build efficient value chains. .
Regarding the sustainable fisheries development project, the World Bank expects that the effective establishment of three dynamic regional fishing centers/ports will stimulate the coastal economy and strengthen regional links.
This project is considered a priority for the government and the fishing sector to obtain the lifting of the “yellow card” of the EC, thus guaranteeing the stability and the means of subsistence of nearly 800,000 fishermen and more than 4 million fishing industry workers.
Regarding the Capacity Building Project for Disaster Response in Coastal Areas of Vietnam (WB10), WB delegates reiterate their commitment to support the program, hoping that MARD will have a plan to implement the first phase of the project soon. Meanwhile, MARD is gearing up for this draft and will soon trade the WB.
Minister Le Minh Hoan acknowledges the challenges of coordination with central and local ministries and sectors in Vietnam in addition to initial successes. MARD is committed to communicating and updating sufficient information to the WB in future programs for effective access and successful cooperation.
After the publication of the National Green Growth Strategy for the period 2021-2030 with a vision for 2050 and the National Action Plan on Green Growth for the period 2021-2030 by the Prime Minister of Vietnam on October 1 2021 and July 22, 2022 respectively, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam developed an action plan to implement the National Green Growth Strategy for 2021-2030 on September 12, 2022 and s strives to accelerate the implementation of action programs and projects with a strong determination to achieve the green growth objectives set.
Nguyen Do Anh Tuan, director general of MARD’s International Cooperation Department, said Vietnam is a responsible member of the international community. The implementation of foreign investment projects in Vietnam’s agricultural sector is transparent, accountable and efficient. Vietnam’s agricultural sector wants governments, international organizations and foreign investors to continue to unite, cooperate and invest in Vietnam for green and sustainable agriculture, contributing to the supply chain of agricultural products and ensuring the global food security.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
