Dutch Delta support to help restore the mighty Mekong
Added on 24 February 2023
The Mekong master plan
The Mekong Delta runs through six countries and supports 60 million people through fishing and agriculture.
In recent years the 12th longest river in the world has been threatened by overfishing, deforestation, poaching, flood control initiatives and hydroelectric projects.
The strategy for the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan, chaired by Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh laid out the three pillars:
- Long-term planning
- Cross-sectoral collaboration
Integrated planning to support and catalyse the social, economic and environmental development of the delta.
The commitment includes “agriculture transformation” with the development of sustainable value chains in aquaculture, saline agriculture, fruit and vegetables, and sustainable livestock with a link to the water challenges.
Ten years ago, Vietnam requested the Netherlands' support in developing a master plan to protect and develop the Mekong Delta.
Today, the Netherlands will support the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) to develop an Agro Transformation Programme to coordinate and boost this process with the Mekong provinces.
It will also foster a multi-stakeholder approach including the private sector, science, civil society and the international organisations and bilateral partners in strategizing, policy development and implementation.
Overcoming groundwater over-abstraction
The Netherlands will also support Vietnam in water management.
“The Netherlands remains committed to partnering with Vietnam’s government, private sector, science and non-governmental organizations to make the implementation of the integrated master plan a success.”
The nation will advise Vietnam on the protection of freshwater resources and coastal zones, improving water quality, climate change adaption and preparation in the case of natural disaster.
Photo Courtesy of GreenTech
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