Climate Funds Central Vietnam 2

This project funded by the climate funds of the Federal Foreign Office, allows four young Vietnamese to realize their own projects on climate mitigation and awareness-raising. All four projects have a strong focus on spreading climate protection awareness and address a wide range of people.

The young adults are deeply worried about climate change and its impacts and observe a lack of awareness of climate change issues among Vietnamese citizens. At the same time, they have creative ideas with much potential. They are determined to tackle the issue, full of energy and ready to start.

UfU supports the four projects and tracks their progress together with the local partners from Mientrung Institute for Scientific Research (MISR). However, the project leaders themselves are in charge of organizing and implementing their projects. At a workshop at the end of October in Hue, Central Vietnam, the project leaders will discuss the current state of their projects and local climate action jointly with other interested young people.

Project: Encouraging young people in the reduction of the impact of waste on the environment to reduce climate change problems

In the coastal municipality of Pho Tanh environmental pollution through plastic and solid waste is in addition to climate change the main cause for the degradation of the local marine ecosystem. The project aims to protect the coast through waste prevention and recycling activities. In close collaboration with the Vietnamese Youth Union, the project members will launch “The Club of Journey from Grey to Green”, which will promote waste reduction through recycling or waste collection activities and through raising awareness on the issue among the local population. The club members will further implement and promote a composting project for organic waste in cooperation with schools and the local population.

Project: Green Action – Green Future

In the coastal municipality of Hai Duong coastal pollution through plastic also poses a heavy burden on the environment. Growing tourism and its associated plastic waste pollution heavily strains the destination’s popular beaches, overloading the capacities of the local waste disposal system. Instead of tackling waste disposal, the project strives to avoid the generation of waste in the first place. In a small study, students of the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy will investigate how the local population deals with plastic waste and products. Besides, a newly established “Blue Sea Club” at a school will carry out waste collection actions, a recycling competition, and recycling workshops. The school’s pupils will reach out to their families and the local population as multipliers, raising awareness for the reduction of plastic waste.

Project: Pilot project for the transformation of agricultural by-products into biochar to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase crop yields

Vanpa Farm Cooperative, an agricultural company in Dakrong municipality, cultivates crops (cajeput, basil, ginger, turmeric) for the extraction of essential oils. Every month an estimated 25 tons of waste products are generated, which are currently used as firewood or discharged at a nearby river, resulting not only in polluted soils and water but also in greenhouse gas emissions through the burning of waste. The project aims at transforming the organic by-prodcuts into biochar to serve as fertilizer for further crop cultivation. Farmers of the Vanpa Farm Cooperative will be trained in the production of biochar. Thereafter, they will apply the produced biochar as fertilizer to increase their crop yields. The process will be documented on social media channels to provide the local population with insights into the benefits of biochar production and use.

Project: Increasing awareness for climate change through the planting of mangrove seedlings along Kien Gang river

Originally, the area surrounding the municipality of Tan Ninh along Kien Giang River was characterized by about 10-15 hectares of mangrove forests. However, 65-75% of the forests were deforested for the construction of shrimp ponds. Mangrove forests are an important protection against extreme events, such as storms and floods. Since extreme events are likely to increase in their frequency and intensity due to climate change, the absence of this protective function is particularly problematic. Through the reforestation of the mangrove forest the project aims at increasing the local population’s awareness of climate mitigation and adaptation. Parts of the destroyed forest are to be afforested with 1000 cork oaks in a manner that will attract public attention. Cork oaks depict a central component of mangrove forests and serve for the forest’s recovery. A fence will be erected to protect the seedlings from cow and buffalo herds in the first year.