The project deals with improving the resilience of small-scale agricultural production to water security loss due to climate change in the Central Highlands and south-central coast regions of Vietnam.

The Green Climate Fund, which belongs to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), recently approved US$30.2 million worth of nonrefundable aid to the project, Kinh Te Do Thi reports.

Called “Strengthening the resilience of smallholder agriculture to climate change-induced water insecurity in the Central Highlands and South Central Coast regions of Vietnam,” the project is developed by the Vietnamese government in collaboration with the UNDP and the Asian Development Bank.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the project will be conducted over the course of six years, aiming to modernize drip irrigation systems and improve water security and livelihoods, as well as enhance knowledge about climate risks and applying agricultural technology that is resistant to climate change.

The ministry adds that the project will directly benefit 222,400 people in Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan and Khanh Hoa provinces and indirectly benefit 335,000 people. It will do so by improving access to water for smallholder farmers and strengthening the “capacities of smallholder farmers to apply climate and market information, technologies, and practices,” according to the concept note of the project.

[Photo via Flickr user Ratclima]