UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific Kanni Wignaraja (fourth, left) joins local leaders and people in planting mangrove forests. (Photo: UNDP)

She made the statement during her recent working visit to Thanh Hoa - one of the 28 coastal localities in Vietnam vulnerable to climate change impacts.

In the locality, Wignaraja joined local leaders and people in planting mangrove forests, one of the most effective nature-based solutions to enhance the resilience of coastal communities to climate change.

She spoke highly of the strong commitment of the provincial People’s Committee in adapting to climate change impacts through the initiative to build resilience.

From 2017 to now, the Government of Vietnam, the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the UNDP have revived and planted more than 337ha of mangrove forests, and built 1,403 safe houses for poor, near-poor and women-headed households.

The project “improving resilience of vulnerable coastal communities to climate change in Vietnam” has benefited more than 8,000 people in Thanh Hoa.

Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee Le Duc Giang thanked the UNDP for its support to the locality, especially in building resilience and improving people's livelihoods.

Both sides wished to further enhance cooperation to build more safe houses for the local community; regenerate mangrove forests in a way that engages the local community with livelihoods; and improve knowledge for locals in managing disaster risks.

According to a recent study by the UNDP and the Ministry of Construction, more than 110,000 households have the need to build safe houses in the 28 coastal provinces and cities, including 10,000 in Thanh Hoa.