The implementation of the second phase of the United Nation’s Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (UN-REDD) in Vietnam is being reviewed at a workshop in the central province of Binh Thuan from June 8-10.

Carried out in six localities - the northern mountainous provinces of Lao Cai and Bac Can, the Central Highlands of Lam Dong, the central provinces of Ha Tinh and Binh Thuan and the Mekong Delta province of Ca Mau - from 2013-2015, the project aims to mitigate climate change through reducing net greenhouse gas emissions via enhanced forest management .

During the event, participants involved in the project and members of the programme’s coordination board in the localities shared their experience in building local-level programmes.

Solutions and interventions to ensure long-term sustainability of local-level programmes were discussed and difficulties in developing action plans for the localities were pointed out.
As many as 30 local-level programmes have been designed during the phase, including two village-level plans, four commune-level, ten for forest management boards and seven others made by forestry companies.

Participants suggested the intensification of communication campaigns to raise public awareness of the Party and State’s forest-related policies and the significance of forest protection and sustainable development.

They also underlined the need to develop agro-forestry-aquaculture production models and increase credit support for local residents to improve their incomes.

UN-REDD was officially launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

By the end of June, 2014, the programme had provided total financial assistance up to 195 million USD for 56 developing countries.-VNA