An agreement to this effect was signed between the Vietnam Red Cross (VRC), the Japan Red Cross (JRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent in Hanoi on April 22.
This is JRC’s final project on planting mangrove forests in Vietnam, in order to create a green belt along its coastline to cope with climate change and reduce losses from natural disasters.
VRC Vice Chairman and General Secretary Doan Van Thai said that the project will be implemented in 10 cities and provinces, namely Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Hoa Binh and Vinh Phuc.
It will also focus on improving capacity in reducing risk for local authorities and communities in 56 high-risk communes.
Launched in 1994 by 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 1997, it has been expanded to another six provinces and received support from JRC through the Committees of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
So far, more than 9,400 ha of forest has been planted, 8,961 ha of which is mangrove forest, covering 166 communes and protecting nearly 100 km of sea dykes.
More than 2 million people are beneficiaries of the project, which contributed to improving their life by generating higher incomes.
On the occasion, Thai announced that the VRC has received over VND 97 billion in support of Japanese victims of twin disasters of tsunami and earthquake.
The association had transferred US$1 million to the victims via the JRC. The rest will be spent on buying essential commodities and transferred to Japanese people in late April, Thai said.
