The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has decided to grant US$30.2 million in non-refundable aid to help the country deal with climate change impacts.

At the signing ceremony

A document to this effect was signed by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ha Noi on May 28.

The five localities to benefit from the project “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast regions of Viet Nam” are Khanh Hoa, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, Dak Nong, and Dak Lak.

The project aims to empower vulnerable farming households, especially women and people from ethnic minority groups in the Central Highlands and south central regions in managing climate-related risks to agricultural production by ensuring the availability of water resources, climate change resilient activities and access to agricultural climate information, credit and market.

MARD Deputy Minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep stated that this represents the largest non-refundable aid received by the MARD from international organisations over recent years.

UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam Caitlin Wiesen said the project will support small farmers, especially women and ethnic people vulnerable to climate change to adapt quickly to natural disasters.

It is also expected to assist more than 335,000 indirect beneficiaries through various training courses and technical assistance, along with providing access to climate risk information and the best practices of smart agriculture amid ongoing climate change, she added.

The project is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026./.