MARD launched a RoK-funded mangrove restoration project in Ninh Binh: The project targets Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh provinces. (Photo: VNA)

The event is part of the Mangrove Restoration and Sustainable Management Project in the Red River Delta funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea (RoK) through the Korea Forest Service (the KFS Project).

In his remarks, MARD Deputy Minister Nguyen Quoc Tri thanked the KFS for its support in the implementation of the project, contributing to promoting the role of coastal forests in the two target localities of Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh in protecting the environment and biodiversity, and reducing emissions.

The project has also generated income for local residents, and helped to mitigate natural disasters and respond to climate change and sea level rise, the official added.

The implementation has manifested the Korean Government’s responsibility for climate change response, he emphasised.

KFS Deputy Minister Sang-seop Lim said the project is significant to the forestry and fishery sector of both nations, noting that it would become an outstanding forestry project between Vietnam and the RoK.

Based on the success, the Korean side would plan to expand its engagement in other fields like forest transformation and deforestation prevention, he said.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Tran Song Tung said the project area holds potential for aquaculture and eco-tourism, and called on the investor and relevant units to coordinate with departments, agencies and localities, as well as cooperatives, households and individuals to roll out livelihood models for locals.

The five-year project has total funding of 4.39 million USD, with 3.79 million USD coming from the RoK’s non-refundable aid. It targets 250 hectares of new mangrove forests in Kim Son, Ninh Binh, and at the Xuan Thuy National Park in Nam Dinh province.