IFAD - Project for Adaptation to Climate Change in the Mekong Delta (AMD) in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh Provinces

To strengthen the adaptive capacity of target communities and institutions to better contend with climate change.

Specifically, AMD will support the development of climate-resilient agricultural systems, salinity-tolerant fish varieties and off-farm livelihood opportunities. It will support climate-sensitive planning to promote relevant provincial budget allocations and provide financing for resilient small-scale community infrastructure. For example, salinity barriers will be built to safeguard farmers' fields and aquaculture ponds. In addition, the project will promote salinity monitoring and forecasting to help farmers access reliable information on the salinity content of their waterways, and promote improved soil and water management practices to protect shrimp larvae and crops from adverse conditions. With water stress being a critical challenge in the Mekong Delta, AMD will provide financing to upgrade canal systems, improve water storage, promote rainwater collection and adopt water-saving irrigation techniques. The ASAP-supported activities of AMD comprise two related components: Building adaptive capacity: The project will address knowledge gaps in smallholder households and local institutions which currently prevent them from developing viable livelihood options in the face of increasing salinity, temperature and water stress. At the provincial level, it will help to make climate-related issues explicit in planning and resource allocation processes. Smallholder capacity will be enhanced by investments in salinity monitoring and forecasting to prevent crop losses. In particular, AMD will finance up to 30 automated salinity monitoring sensors to calculate salinity concentrations at given points along the river system. This will enable farmers to understand how salinity in soils and groundwater evolves over time. Investments will also be made in communitybased adaptation research to develop a strain of saline-tolerant catfish and scale up sustainable aquaculture farming models. Research will be undertaken on salinetolerant rice varieties and other salinetolerant crops which have good market value and are suitable for cultivation. Investing in sustainable livelihoods: Under AMD, ASAP funding will be provided to finance pro-poor adaptation investments that diversify the economic livelihoods base of poor households. Communities will be supported as they scale up adaptation techniques such as shifting from rice cultivation to shrimp farming, vegetable, coconut and salt production, and sustainable livestock production. The project will also support the design and construction of mostly small-scale public infrastructure, which will be planned and implemented with commercial potential in mind. Investment areas will include rainwater collection and treatment of brackish water, salinity barriers and water management structures, and the improvement of irrigation canal systems. Expected Impacts: AMD will strengthen communities and institutions to effectively respond to the impacts of climate change. It will provide increased and more inclusive financing for market-oriented climate-smart agriculture and agribusiness investments, and help communities to diversify into economically viable and climate-resilient farming, aquaculture and other livelihood options. At least 124,800 poor rural people in 30,000 households benefit from the project, receiving a combination of capacitybuilding, climate-informed planning, technology transfer and access to credit, supported by upgraded community infrastructure and cofinancing of investment in their farming operations. About 6,000 people benefit from new employment opportunities generated by on- and off-farm investments. At least 4,000 people receive vocational training. Over 1.5 million rural people in both provinces indirectly receive flow-on benefits from better access to salinity data and forecasts, technology development and promotion, access to credit and institutional strengthening. Henning Pedersen Country Programme Manager IFAD Room 103, B3 Van Phuc Diplomatic Compound 298 Kim Ma Hanoi, Viet Nam Tel: 84 438237231 h.pedersen@ifad.org Roshan Cooke Regional Climate and Environment Specialist (APR) IFAD Via Paolo di Dono 44 Rome, Italy Tel: 39 06 5459 2156 ro.cooke@ifad.org