The Climate Resilient by Nature project was unveiled at Tram Chim National Park, as climate change and ecological shifts increasingly threaten the region.
Funded by the Australian government through the Mekong Climate Resilience Partnership, the new phase will restore 1,750 hectares of critical freshwater ecosystems in Dong Thap and Tay Ninh.
Le Ha Luan, director of Dong Thap’s Department of Agriculture and Environment, said the province is shifting from conventional to climate-smart agriculture to address climate challenges and sustain livelihoods.
He said nature-based solutions are key to restoring the Mekong Delta’s natural flood dynamics, ensuring long-term environmental and economic sustainability.
According to a 2023 forecast by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about 40 per cent of the Mekong Delta could be inundated by a one-metre sea-level rise, threatening more than 17 million people.
In its first phase, the project piloted nature-based solutions to help communities adapt to changing flood patterns, including floating rice cultivation and integrated lotus-fish farming.
These models helped restore floodplains, increase incomes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent.
Australia’s ambassador to Vietnam, Gillian Bird, said the partnership would help build a more resilient Mekong subregion by restoring ecosystems and supporting sustainable livelihoods.
Running until 2029, phase II will scale up proven models and focus on marginalised communities in buffer zones of Lang Sen Wetland Reserve and Tram Chim National Park.
Vuong Quoc Chien, regional programme manager at WWF-Greater Mekong, said the next phase would strengthen collaboration to drive large-scale ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.
Charlotte Sterrett of WWF-Australia said the programme would expand locally led nature-based solutions and help attract long-term investment.
The launch event brought together 80 delegates, including representatives from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, government agencies, research institutes and development partners, to discuss implementation strategies.