The project aims to support the restoration of coastal biodiversity and the sustainable management of marine resources. — Photos courtesy of USAID

RẠCH GIÁ — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Mekong provinces were joined by the United States Mission to Việt Nam through the US Agency for International Development (USAID) on Friday to launch the Mekong Delta Coastal Habitat Conservation project.

The US$2.9 million project will work to reduce threats to coastal biodiversity and fisheries and strengthen coastal resilience in the Mekong Delta. The project will see the cooperation among the Vietnamese Government, including provincial authorities, businesses, management boards of marine protected areas, development partners and fishing communities.

“This project launch advances our shared priority with Việt Nam to build coastal resilience in the vital yet increasingly vulnerable Mekong Delta region, and supports the US-Việt Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” said Aler Grubbs, USAID/Việt Nam Mission Director.

Officials and delegates at the project's launch event on Friday in Rạch Giá City of the southern Kiên Giang Province.

The Mekong Delta and its islands are home to 70 per cent of Việt Nam's mangroves and 90 per cent of its seagrass beds.

Fed by the sediment and nutrients from the Mekong River, these habitats support Việt Nam's richest fishing grounds and provide crucial protection for coastal communities from storm surges.

However, these habitats and the commercially important species they support, such as sea bass and snapper, are facing a range of threats that impact long-standing livelihoods and lifestyles.

Through this new project, the US will support Việt Nam’s restoration of coastal biodiversity and the sustainable management of marine resources to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities and enhance coastal resilience.

The launch on Friday advances the US commitment to expand engagement in the Mekong Delta and across Việt Nam, in line with the two countries’ shared priorities under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. — VNS