VN-ADAPT supports the implementation of Viet Nam’s adaptation targets in its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the agriculture sector. It focuses on building public and private consensus and strengthening the legal framework for integrating climate, biodiversity, and NbS in planning and invests in scaling NbS through private sector engagement and partnerships in two key climate-vulnerable agricultural production landscapes: The Mekong Delta and Central Highlands.

The project will be implemented from 2023 to 2028 and is funded (€15m) by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) under the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and will be implemented by SNV in partnership with International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the ICEM Vietnam Company Limited (ICEM) as well as the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MoNRE) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Viet Nam is widely recognised as being one of the countries most likely to be adversely impacted by climate change due to the large proportion of the population exposed to climate-related hazards in low-lying coastal and delta regions, while marginalised upland communities are also highly vulnerable. Rural livelihoods in both environments are heavily dependent on land, natural resources and agricultural production.

NbS can be suitable and cost-effective adaptation options. In the agriculture sector, relevant NbS include integrated farm production systems such as Flood-based Agriculture in the upper Mekong Delta, Integrated Mangrove-Shrimp systems in coastal agro-ecological zones and mixed agroforestry systems in upland environments. VN-ADAPT adopts innovative market-based approaches and supports the development of socially-inclusive value chains for the agricultural products of these nature-based agricultural production systems in partnership with the private sector. By partnering with a range of companies the project will accelerate the adoption of these solutions by farmers and cooperatives in their supply chains.

Underlying barriers are also addressed, including through improving the awareness and understanding of climate risks as well as the opportunities and the development of consensus for NbS in the agriculture sector among public and private sector actors in key climate-vulnerable production landscapes. The project will also, enhance institutional capacity through the development of a supportive policy and enabling environment for NbS for adaptation e.g. improved integration of NbS in agricultural and land use planning as well as the development of a legal framework for conserving nature and biodiversity outside protected areas and within production landscapes i.e. other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). VN-ADAPT seeks to address financial barriers through developing sustainable budgeting tools and explicit efforts to improve the utilization of public finance for NbS in combination with specific activities to support companies in accessing finance, particularly through emerging blended finance facilities for climate adaptation and NbS.

VN-ADAPT is designed as a gender-responsive project with specific activities and measures to address existing gender inequalities and injustices in relevant agricultural value-chains and ensure that female farmers and women-led agribusinesses are targeted by and benefit from the project interventions.

Any person who believes they may be harmed by an IKI project or who wish to report corruption or the misuse of funds, can lodge a complaint to the IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism at IKI-complaints@z-u-g.org. The IKI complaint mechanism has a panel of independent experts who will investigate the complaint. In the course of the investigation, we will consult with the complainant so as to avoid unnecessary risks for the complainant. More information can be found at: https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/about-iki/values-responsibility/independent-complaint-mechanism”.