Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development implements over 4 million USD project in Nghe An
On February 27, a working delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development worked with the People's Committee of Nghe An province on the implementation of the Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Project.
Attending the meeting were Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan - Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and members. Welcoming and working with the delegation were comrades: Nguyen Van De - Member of the Provincial Party Executive Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of the Office of the Management Board of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve and related departments, branches and units.
Project Overview
The Biodiversity and Landscape Conservation Project (BLF Project) is funded by the UK through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam assigned the Forestry Project Management Board to be the project owner, in coordination with Nghe An and Kon Tum provinces for implementation.
The units entrusted and authorized by the sponsor to coordinate with the project owner for implementation include: Fauna & Flora International (FFI); Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The project will be implemented over 6 years. The total funding is over 4 million dollars.
The BLF project selected provinces in the lower Mekong countries (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia) in line with the objectives and priorities of the Biodiversity Landscape Fund funded by the UK Government. These are localities with natural forest areas of high biodiversity value that are strictly protected by the Government and bordering countries; there is no overlap with other programs and projects of a similar nature.
In Nghe An, the locations and units that will participate in the implementation of the BLF Project include: Pu Mat National Park, Anh Son Protective Forest Management Board and Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve. In Kon Tum province, there will be Chu Mom Ray National Park and Ngoc Linh Nature Reserve.
Propose solutions for implementation
At the meeting, after introducing the criteria and scale of the BLF Project, delegates pointed out the advantages, difficulties, and obstacles that need to be resolved so that the project can be implemented effectively, on schedule, and in accordance with the goals of the proposed components.
The BLF project has 6 components, implemented in 6 years, starting from 2025, mainly supporting local authorities to improve forest governance capacity; Supporting management boards of special-use and protective forests in the project area to consult and complete legal documents; Supporting local authorities and village/hamlet communities to develop sustainable livelihood models in buffer zones of special-use and protective forests in the project area; Supporting the implementation of appropriate policies and approaches to develop ecotourism, community tourism...
Representatives of Nghe An departments and branches raised a number of problems that need to be resolved in licensing procedures for implementing some project items; the issue of extending the operation of organizations and companies implementing the sponsorship.
Speaking at the meeting, comrade Nguyen Van De affirmed that the investment support from the BLF Project will help the province mobilize resources to more effectively implement forest protection and development management activities, and biodiversity conservation. Nghe An welcomes the project and commits to creating all conditions for the project to achieve the highest results and will direct departments, branches, local authorities, and organizations at all levels to pay attention and coordinate in implementing the project programs to achieve the set goals.
Mr. Nguyen Do Anh Tuan also requested the People's Committee of Nghe An province and relevant agencies and units to actively coordinate and review the contents and activities that need to be implemented to discuss and remove obstacles to ensure compliance with regulations, objectives as well as organizations and units participating in the project. Before implementation, there should be discussion and review to ensure high consensus in the effective implementation of the BLF Project.
