Tuong Duong people propose to replicate the sustainable livelihood model from planting meters
At the conference to evaluate and transfer the Sustainable Livelihood Model Project from developing meter trees on the morning of January 7 in Tuong Duong district, people in the beneficiary communes requested to replicate the model and maintain the revolving capital fund sponsored by the project.
On January 7, the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district, together with localities and sponsors, held a conference to summarize the Project on Sustainable Livelihood Model of Meter Trees according to the value chain to reduce pressure on biodiversity and forest ecosystem functions in the district.
Attending the conference were delegates: Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen - National Coordinator of the Global Environment Facility, Small Project Financing Program, United Nations Development Program (UNDP-GEF/SGP); Comrade Le Van Luong - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of Tuong Duong District Party Committee; representatives of the Western Nghe An Biosphere Reserve, project management and implementation units; leaders of the District People's Committee and project beneficiary communes.
The project on Sustainable Livelihood Model from Developing Meter Plants in the Value Chain to Reduce Pressure on Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Functions in Tuong Duong District is funded by the Global Environment Facility, the Small Projects Program, in combination with other sources, with a total budget of more than 9.6 billion VND. The project restores and replicates the meter planting model in 12 villages and 5 communes of Tuong Duong District.
Since January 2022, with a funding of more than 3 billion VND from the GEF Fund, Tuong Duong district has integrated with other counterpart funding sources from the locality and people. The project has helped restore and replicate the meter planting model, creating sustainable livelihoods with 687 households and more than 1,800 people participating. Tuong Duong District Farmers' Association takes on the role of managing and implementing the Project.
The project also helped establish 12 cooperatives, sign product consumption contracts, and participate in the OCOP product competition from the meter tree. Successfully built a livelihood development model through planting 38.3 hectares with 63 households participating, restoring 944 hectares of degraded meter forest with 578 households participating. Established a revolving loan fund to develop livelihoods for 5 commune-level farmer associations with an amount of 839 million VND, the income value of households participating in the meter tree restoration model increased by 25.1% compared to before the project implementation.
After 2 years of implementation, the sponsoring units, agencies, units and localities implementing the Project will evaluate the effectiveness and implement the next steps to maintain and further promote the sustainable livelihood model from planting meters.
The leaders of the communes, the executive committees of the villages and hamlets, and many beneficiary households as well as the leaders of Tuong Duong district affirmed the positive effects of the project, which not only brings a sustainable source of livelihood from planting meters, but also gradually reduces the pressure on biodiversity and forest ecosystem functions. The people proposed to maintain and expand the effective model of planting meters and continue to promote the capital of the Revolving Fund.
At the conference, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Huyen highly appreciated the implementation activities, integration and effective use of other resources to bring sustainable livelihoods to people, successfully completing the objectives of the Project. At the same time, she recommended that localities and people continue to maintain the results, spread the model as well as the projects sponsored by organizations to the locality.
In particular, special attention should be paid to the implementation methods, the mobilization of people and authorities as well as the use of resources to promote funding sources, complete and achieve the goals of programs and projects associated with socio-economic development and environmental protection according to the general development orientation of the locality.
On this occasion, the Project Management Board and the People's Committee of Tuong Duong district awarded Certificates of Merit to 5 groups and 16 individuals who made important contributions to the completion of the Project's objectives. The Project Management Board proceeded to hand over the Revolving Fund to the locality to continue to effectively promote the funding source.
The Sustainable Livelihood Model Project from Planting Meters in the Value Chain to Reduce Pressure on Biodiversity and Forest Ecosystem Functions is coordinated by the Small Grants Program (SGP) - Global Environment Facility (GEF) within the framework of the Project: "Integrating Natural Resource Management and Biodiversity Conservation Goals into Socio-Economic Development Planning and Management of Biosphere Reserves in Vietnam" (BR Project) implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and funded by GEF through UNDP Vietnam.