An agreement on planting mangrove forests and reducing risks and disasters in the 2011-2015 period was signed by the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC) and Japan Red Cross (JRC) and the International Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent in Hanoi on April 22.
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The total amount of more than USD2.5 million was supported by the JRC.
This is JRC’s last project to plant mangrove forests for Vietnam to create a green belt along its coastal line to cope with climate change and reduce losses caused by natural disasters.
Doan Van Thai, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the VRC, said that the project will be implemented in 10 cities and provinces across the country.
It will also focus on improving capacity in reducing risks for local authorities and communities in 56 high-risk communes.
Launched in 1994 by the VRC as a pilot project in the northern provinces of Thai Binh and Nam Dinh, the project was first funded by the Danish Red Cross Society.
Since 1996, it was expanded to another six provinces and received support from the JRC through the Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
So far, more than 9,400ha of forest was planted, 8,961ha of which is mangrove forest, covering 166 communes and protecting nearly 100km sea dykes.
