Promoting NGOs’ Pro-Active Engagement in Climate Change in Southern Provinces

The Ambassador of Finland to Vietnam Mr Pekka Hyvönen just announced a committed budget of EUR 160,625 that will facilitate southern NGOs to participate actively in climate change challenges in Mekong Delta area. 

 

A project agreement is signed between the Embassy and the Centre for Cooperation Human Resources Development (C&D) with the participation of local NGOs on August 4, 2011 in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

This two-year project aims at strengthening existing networks of southern NGOs for their pro-active engagement in supporting local communities in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh Provinces to respond to climate change challenges and pursuing inclusive and sustainable development initiatives. The project has main activities of institutional capacities for local NGOs, capacity building for local communities, setting-up of two information kiosks and a rescue communication centre at the grassroots level, strengthening of local NGO networks, and dialogues to advocate pro-poor climate change policies as well as influencing for more space at which local NGOs would play roles in the development process at district, provincial and national levels. It’s expected that 130 staff members of local NGOs and 3,000 community members will directly benefit from this initiative.

 

The project holder, C&D, will collaborate with Hanoi-based Centre for Community Capacity Building on Environmental Protection, and two HCMC-based organizations, namely Centre for Biodiversity Conservation and Institute of Sustainable Development for the Southern Region to conduct the project. 

 

This project, financed through the Embassy’s Fund for Local Cooperation, also reconfirms the Finland’s strong support to the Vietnamese civil society development.