The MEPA Project has officially been launched to promote an integrated, effective and sustainable management approach for Viet Nam’s system of special-use and protection forests, areas that play a particularly important role in biodiversity conservation, water resource protection, disaster prevention and response to climate change.
In his opening remarks, Doan Hoai Nam, Deputy Director of the Forestry and Forest Protection Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, emphasised that Viet Nam is a country with a high level of biodiversity; however, the management and conservation of forest ecosystems are facing growing pressures from climate change, economic development and people’s livelihood needs. This reality calls for “integrated and innovative approaches with a long-term vision and the participation of multiple stakeholders”.
According to Doan Hoai Nam, the MEPA Project has been designed with the expectation of contributing to improved effectiveness in conserving complex ecosystems in special-use and protection forests, while at the same time promoting sustainable financial mechanisms, linking nature conservation with livelihood development, strengthening state management capacity and ensuring substantive participation by local communities. He noted that the project is the result of a rigorous and systematic preparation process lasting nearly two years and is aligned with the Party’s and State’s guidelines and policies, as well as the international commitments to which Viet Nam is a party.
The MEPA Project focuses on four main outputs: strengthening the legal, technical and capacity framework for management work; ensuring sustainable financial resources for protected areas; implementing ecosystem restoration through focused planning and pilot interventions; and promoting environmentally friendly, community-based tourism, thereby supporting conservation while creating livelihoods for local people.
Speaking at the event, Anja Barth, Chief Adviser of the MEPA Project at GIZ, stated that the project is built on more than 50 years of effective development cooperation between Viet Nam and the Federal Republic of Germany, particularly in the fields of biodiversity conservation and sustainable forest management.
Anja Barth stressed that healthy ecosystems play a key role in green and sustainable development, providing essential services for human life and supporting climate change adaptation. In the context of increasing pressures on protected areas, the MEPA Project aims to improve the legal and institutional framework and strengthen technical capacity for management agencies and local communities, thereby promoting integrated management of protected areas in Viet Nam.
The MEPA Project will be implemented from 2025 to June 2028, with a total budget of EUR 4.5 million funded by the Government of Germany, along with counterpart funding from the Government of Viet Nam. The project will be implemented at the national level and piloted in three special-use forests: Hoang Lien National Park (Lao Cai), Xuan Lien National Park (Thanh Hoa) and Van Long Species and Habitat Conservation Area (Ninh Binh).
