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Lotus plants are found throughout Vietnam with their distribution concentrated in the muddy water of lakes and ponds of the Mekong Delta. Lotus parts such as seeds, leaves, buds, and roots have proven economic value for medicinal herbs, cosmetics, and daily food. But the largest part of the plant, the lotus stem, is rarely used. Lotus fibers, which are made from the stem, are of no commercial value in Viet Nam, whereas in Myanmar and Cambodia lotus fibers are used to make high-value clothes and furniture.

To turn unused lotus stems into commercial products to benefit local communities, promote flood-based livelihoods, and increase water storage in the delta, IUCN is starting a 3-year project in An Giang, Dong Thap, and Long An with funding from The Coca-Cola Foundation (TCCF). This is the second phase of the TCCF project in 2018-2020 on piloting flood-based livelihoods.

IUCN is working with local partners to bring an additional 120 hectares into lotus cultivation, conduct training on lotus fiber extraction and weaving, measure the biodiversity and carbon sequestration benefits, and mobilise businesses to support lotus silk product design and market access.

On May 26, 2023, IUCN organised the project launch workshop in An Giang and field visit to Van Giao traditional craft village in Tinh Bien District. It was an opportunity to introduce to a wide range of stakeholders the role of flood-based agriculture in conserving flood storage, discuss lotus silk value chains, and share experiences related to lotus silk production, market access, planning and policy support for flood-based livelihoods.

About 90 participants from the three focal provinces attended the launch. While participants agreed that lotus silk has high economic, spiritual, and cultural values with the potential to diversify farmers’ livelihoods and conserve natural resources, there remain big challenges including the shortage of skilled workers, high labour costs to collect stems and extract fibres, and lack of technologies to improve product quality.

The following recommendations were made to support lotus silk production:

Define standards for lotus silk products and position them as high-end products such as scarfs, table runners, and handkerchiefs; lotus fibers should not be used for medical gauze.
Coordinate with the Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Department of Industry and Trade to promote cross-sector collaboration in areas such as fashion, tourism, e-commerce, international trade fairs, and domestic traditional festivals.
Make full use of the entire lotus plant, not just the stems, for product development.
Use lotus fibers as supplemental materials because of the high costs of pure lotus fiber products.

In the Mekong Delta, there are several lotus-based agriculture models such as integrated lotus-fish farming, lotus-ecotourism farming, and seasonal rice-lotus farming, intensive lotus farming. The uptake of these demonstrations should lead to significant volumes of flood water being retained during the flood season and released during the dry season contributing to the restoration of wetland ecosystems.

According to IUCN’s global standard for Nature-based Solutions (NbS), lotus farming in the seasonal flood plains is considered an agriculture NbS.

At the launch workshop, participants provided a lot of feedback on how the project can achieve its dual goals: expand water storage and create sustainable livelihoods from lotus silk products for local farmers in the Mekong Delta.

16

Jun

Protecting Black White-Cheeked Gibbons in Son La Province

By: lediemquynh

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Currently, although people have better awareness about forest protection to maintain water resources and develop tourism, many fragmented forest patches need a lot of time to recover naturally. With the support of people, the process of forest restoration will take place faster and more effectively.

In response to the International Day of Biodiversity (May 22) and World Environment Day (June 5), on May 21, at Van Ho commune, Van Ho district, Son La province, Union of Science Associations and Vietnam Technology (VUSTA), the Center for People and Nature (PanNature) and the government of Van Ho district organized the Program “Forest Restoration on Rocky Mountains”.

Afforestation activities are carried out in Pa Cop and Hua Tat villages, Van Ho commune, Van Ho district, Son La province – the main habitat of the critically endangered Black White-Cheeked Gibbons, which is threatened with biological landscape and food sources due to forest degradation and fragmentation. This is also the second time that the reforestation program has been held in Van Ho, in PanNature’s long-term plan to restore the natural forest here.

Black White-Cheeked Gibbons, scientifically known as Nomascus leucogenys, are critically endangered (listed in the IUCN Red List) and can only be found in Laos and Vietnam.

This project ensures the preservation of the gibbons’ food sources and the conservation of biodiversity. Meaningful activities carried out include: Planting over 5,000 trees, dispersing over 9,000 seeds across 10 hectares, engaging over 200 participants, including local authorities, community members, businesses, and associations.

VB4E is making efforts with other partners to protect the forest. By joining hands and supporting conservation efforts, we can ensure a brighter future for the Black White-Cheeked Gibbons and other endangered species.

08

May

Saving Phu My, one of the Mekong Delta’s last natural grasslands

By: lediemquynh

Comments: 1

[eut_title title=”Saving Phu My, one of the Mekong Delta’s last natural grasslands” heading=”h2″]

In 1996, Tran Triet as part of his PhD research at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, recommended to the Kien Giang government that they conserve 60,000 hectares of seasonally flooded grassland in the southwest of the province. These grasslands are characterized by Eleocharis whose roots are the preferred food of the iconic Sarus crane, which migrates from its breeding sites in the forests of eastern Cambodia to spend March and April feeding in the delta. Another notable grassland plant is Lepironia, which local people harvest to weave handicrafts.

The idea of conserving large areas of natural grassland disappeared, however, in the rush to bring as much land into rice production as possible through the expansion of dikes, canals, and sluice gates. These investments destroyed nearly all the delta’s remaining Eleocharis and Lepironia grasslands and transformed the ecology and hydrology of the upper delta.

The Phu My Species and Habitat Conservation Area, located just a few kilometers from the Cambodian border, is one of the delta’s last natural grasslands. When the site was first proposed for legal protection in the early 2000s, it covered 2,300 hectares. When it was finally established in 2016, it had shrunk to 1,200 hectares as a result of agricultural encroachment. It has since shrunk to just under 1,000 hectares. The dry season Sarus crane population declined from 200 in 2015 to 13 in 2022.

In 2012, IUCN completed a biodiversity action plan for the Holcim cement company, which had a plant in nearby Hon Chong. Within the plant was a 130-hectare wetland that was being dug up for clay to produce cement. IUCN proposed that Holcim support conservation of Phu My as a biodiversity offset for the lost wetland. Holcim supported various interventions including dry season water supply and Lepironia handicrafts for the surrounding communities, but the encroachment continued, and the company was reluctant to invest more until the situation was stabilized.

In 2019 (by which time the Holcim cement plant had been bought by Siam City Cement Company, the Thai cement company, and rebranded as INSEE), IUCN commissioned a climate change vulnerability analysis of Phu My by Dr Triet, now the Southeast Asia Program Director for the Wisconsin-based International Crane Foundation, and a team of local researchers. This study recommended completing a partially built dike around Phu My to prevent further encroachment and protect the site against dry season sea water intrusion. In 2021, IUCN commissioned a follow up study by Dr. Duong Van Ni, a renowned wetlands specialist at Can Tho University, who confirmed this recommendation.

In 2022, the province spent $500,000 of its own money to dig a canal around almost the entire site and compensate farmers, who are mostly ethnic Khmer, with claims inside the site. While this sounds like an extreme solution, it is worth recalling that Elinor Ostrom, who won the 2009 Nobel prize for economics for her work on managing “common pool” resources, identified clear demarcation as the top success factor.

In April 2023, Dr. Triet and a team from IUCN and INSEE visited Phu My. We saw the canal and sluice gates and the dike from the excavated soil, new offices, and a watch tower. The director asked for our help completing a road on top of the dike to facilitate patrols and planting melaleuca on the sides of the dike. We also proposed a study of water conditions within the dike as the basis for operating the sluice gates. It is essential to keep the water acidic (as it is naturally because of the acid sulphate soils) to support the Eleocharis and Lepironia and the Sarus cranes that feed on them.

In the long-term, it may be possible to expand the area of natural grassland by planting Lepironia in Phu My’s buffer zone. Since 2017, the government has moved decisively to de-intensify rice production in the delta. This makes possible Triet’s vision of conserving a very large area of natural and semi-natural grassland, which while still human-dominated nevertheless retains much of its original biodiversity.

07

Apr

Initiating CSV ideas in the field of carbon reduction

By: lediemquynh

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Initiating CSV ideas in the field of carbon reduction

In November 2021, at the COP26 Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh announced the Government’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

To this end, it is necessary to involve all stakeholders in which the role of the business sector and organizations is indispensable. On March 23-24, 2023, the Research Institute for Development Communication and ProNGO organized a training course on “Initiating CSV ideas in the field of carbon reduction” with the participation of 35 businesses and CSOs. This activity is within the framework of the Win-Win for Vietnam project funded by the European Union in cooperation with VB4E.
The purpose of the training course is to (1) improve basic knowledge and understanding of the concepts of CSR, CSV¹, ESG², SDGs³, circular economy and sustainable development; (2) knowledge sharing on “CO2/Greenhouse Effect/Climate Neutralization” and existing collaborative CSV initiatives between businesses and CSOs in Europe and/or in Vietnam; and (3) educate and assist local CSOs and multiple companies on how to co-design collaborative CSV projects related to specific topics covered.
The main lecturer of the training was Prof. Dr. Markus Beckmann, Head of the Department of Corporate Sustainability Management, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Trainees also discussed practical experiences.

INTRACO, an outreach member of VB4E, shared the company’s experience related to carbon reduction activities. TH representative also presented VB4E’s effort to connect businesses and CSO to implement environmental protection initiatives, particularly carbon reduction.

On March 30-31, 2023, the training course will be conducted in Ho Chi Minh City for businesses and CSOs in the southern region.

For more information about the training, see the article below: https://kinhtemoitruong.vn/khoi-xuong-mot-y-tuong-csv-linh-vuc-giam-thieu-carbon-76318.html

¹ Create shared value

² Environment, Social, Governance

³ Sustainable Development Goals

07

Apr

New Member Announcement – Investment and Trade Consultancy Company Limited (INTRACO)

By: lediemquynh

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New Member Announcement – Investment and Trade Consultancy Company Limited (INTRACO)

Investment and Trade Consultancy Company Limited (INTRACO) has become an outreach member of VB4E.

INTRACO works to reduce poverty and improves local environments while slowing climate change. INTRACO develops projects that help people access energy-efficient cookstoves, safe drinking water and renewable energy. INTRACO leverages carbon finance and social finance to bring these projects to scale.

Over a period of more than 15 years, INTRACO has developed an enormous and flourishing clientele of fully satisfied clients, including EDF, RWE, BNP Paribas, SMBC, ENECO, Dong Energy, Enbw, Gunvor, Mabanaft, Nefco, SK, Hanwha, LG.

For more information about INTRACO, please read: https://www.carbonvietnam.com/

21

Mar

“Initiating Collaborative CSV Projects” Training

By: lediemquynh

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“Initiating Collaborative CSV Projects” Training

With the aims of promoting the collaboration between businesses and CSOs on carbon emission reduction initiatives and updating knowledge on CSR, CSV, ESG, SDGs, CE and SD, RED Communication (Vietnam) and Pro NGO! e.V. (Germany) will organize 2 trainings on “INITIATING COLLABORATIVE CSV PROJECTS” in Ha Noi (23-24/3/2023) and Ho Chi Minh (30-31/3/2023). This activity is implemented under project Win-Win for Viet Nam in collaboration with VB4E Alliance.

You are cordially invited to the training.

For details, please fund attached the tentative agenda HERE.

The trainers will include:

1) Prof. Dr. Markus Beckmann, Head of the Chair for Corporate Sustainability Management, FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Germany

2) Ms Chau Bui – Pro NGO! Project Manager & PhD Candidate at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg University, Germany

3) Ms Trang Nguyen – Lecturer of Vietnam National University Hanoi (Training Assistant)

The training is free for businesses and CSOs. If you are interested, please register at link [Đăng ký miễn phí] KHÓA TẬP HUẤN “KHỞI XƯỚNG MỘT Ý TƯỞNG CSV LĨNH VỰC GIẢM THIỂU CARBON” TẠI HÀ NỘI & TP.HCM THÁNG 3/2023 (google.com).

Registration deadline is at 12.0 on 21/3/2023 (training in Ha Noi) and 12.00 on 25/3/2023 (training in HCM),

21

Mar

Networking event “Business and CSOs on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection”

By: lediemquynh

Comments: 0

Networking event “Business and CSOs on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection”

On 25 March, Viet Nam Conservation Fund project organized a networking event “Business and CSOs on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection,” at 14.00 – 20.30 at Maximilian, 222 Võ Nguyên Giáp Road, Sơn Trà District, Đà Nẵng city. The event will include a field trip to the project site and a talkshow.

You are cordially invited to join the event, and please register at this link if interested: https://docs.google.com/…/1FAIpQLScntFK-fzHj…/viewform

This is an EU-funded project implemented by GreenViet (an IUCN member) and GSI (a German NGO). VB4E has been a partner of the project for 2 years, supporting Small Grant Programme to mobilize business participation in the grant implementation.

Sincerely.

10

Mar

Gala “Marketing for Development Award” 2022 & Networking Event – CSVHUB

By: lediemquynh

Comments: 0

Marketing for Development – M4D Awards is a communication initiative initiated by the Research Institute for Development Communication (RED Communication), in collaboration with Pro! NGO e.v. (Germany), co-sponsored by the European Union and Oxfam Vietnam. By recognizing and honoring media-marketing products and campaigns towards sustainable development, M4D Awards wishes to inspire the marketer community to convey the positive values of sustainable development strongly and deeply in their products, affirm the position of the media-marketing industry and contribute to promoting sustainable development in general.

The Gala event honoring M4D Awards 2022 will occur on March 17, 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City. The event is a place to honor media and marketing initiatives and products towards sustainable development and also announce cooperation projects between social organizations and businesses selected to receive grants from the Win-Win for Vietnam project coordinated by RED Communication. In addition, the gala event will hold the seminar “Carbon reduction trend – Cooperation opportunities between businesses & social organizations” with the participation of speakers who are representatives of businesses and social organizations.

The Gala event honoring M4D Awards 2022 is an opportunity to expand and develop relationships for the marketer community, individuals, businesses and social organizations, as well as strengthen connections and multi-stakeholder cooperation in meaningful cooperation initiatives towards sustainable development, especially in the current global trend of carbon reduction.

Event details:

Time: 16h00 – 20h30, Friday, 17/03/2023
Location: IMC Building
62 Tran Quang Khai Street, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh city

31

Jan

The University of Virginia’s education abroad program “Vietnam: An Ecological-Economic Exploration”

By: lediemquynh

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The University of Virginia’s education abroad program “Vietnam: An Ecological-Economic Exploration”

In January 2023, representatives from IUCN and VB4E joined as panelists in an event in Ha Noi organised by the University of Virginia (UVA) – Global Studies program for 18 undergraduate and graduate students coming from a variety of majors, including business, natural science, public health, public policy, and engineering. The objective is to discuss Vietnam’s sustainability opportunities & challenges.

This is a two-weeks study programme that began in Ho Chi Minh City, Dalat in the central highlands, and concluded in Hanoi to look at sustainability from ranges of perspectives. The event welcomed the panelists from World Bank, EU Commission, UNDP, Fauna and Flora International, Keep Vietnam Clean and Vietnam Green Building Council and CSAGA.

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Anh (IUCN) briefly introduced IUCN and VB4E, its objectives, thematic focuses and the necessary to mobilize businesses on environmental protection and the linkage with governmental priorities. Mr. Nguyen Duc Tuan (IUCN) shared about mangroves restoration and particularly coastal squeeze, which is a Nature-based-Solutions approach that IUCN has been advocating to restore mangroves in the Mekong Delta.

Other panelists shared information about other topics such as gender equality, education, inclusive governance, renewable energy, illegal wildlife trafficking, urban green spaces, plastic waste…The students had the chance to ask questions and interact directly with experts on their focused contents. This is an experiential learning opportunity for them to enhance their knowledge and insights about ecological – economic challenges in Viet Nam and gain data and inputs for their final thesis as well as interested subjects.

14

Jan

IUCN-PAN-CP partnership on forest restoration: Piloting the possibility to enter tradable carbon credit market

By: lediemquynh

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IUCN-PAN-CP partnership on forest restoration: Piloting the possibility to enter tradable carbon credit market

Lang Sen Wetland Nature Reserve in Tan Hung District, Long An Province was established in 2004. The nature reserve covers 1,971 hectares and includes some of the last natural wetlands in the Plain of Reeds with a mix of marshes, seasonally flooded grasslands, and melaleuca forest.

Photo: Employees of PAN, CP and IUCN planted trees in Lang Sen Wetland Nature Reserve

However, according to the results of a 2021 survey, the total area of Special-Use Forest (SUF) has decreased by 139 hectares since 2014. In response, in September 2021, the PPC approved for Lang Sen Wetland NR a plan to reforest 30 hectares by the end of 2022.

In December 2022, in support of the PPC’s plan, IUCN entered into a partnership with PAN and CP Group to implement a 2-year project to restore melaleuca forest, which is an important habitat for water birds and many freshwater species.

To introduce the project, IUCN and the management board organised a consultation in the nature reserve on 22 December 2022. This yielded useful recommendations on planting density and timing, suitable planting areas, planting techniques, etc.

Experts suggested calculating the carbon capture of the new forest. Viet Nam will pilot a carbon trading market in 2025 and aims to establish an operational market in 2028 that connects domestic and international buyers^[¹^]. This is one of the measures to achieve Viet Nam’s COP26 commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Decision No. 1/QD-TTg of January 2022^{[2 ]} lists the sectors for which a greenhouse gas emissions inventory in mandatory. These are: energy, transportation, construction, industrial, agro-forestry and land use, and waste treatment. About 1,900 businesses in six of these sectors will have to complete their inventory by March 31, 2023 and conduct emission inventories twice per year starting in 2024 [3].

To achieve the net zero, business participation is essential. While awaiting detailed regulations, partnerships such as the one between IUCN, PAN and CP Group can test technical approaches with the potential to be scaled up.

[1] https://congthuong.vn/gan-1200-doanh-nghiep-phai-cung-cap-thong-tin-phuc-vu-kiem-ke-khi-nha-kinh-235698.html

[2] https://english.luatvietnam.vn/decision-no-01-2022-qd-ttg-dated-january-18-2022-of-the-prime-minister-on-promulgating-the-list-of-sectors-greenhouse-gas-emitting-establishments-s-216078-doc1.html

[3] https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hon-1900-doanh-nghiep-xay-dung-bao-cao-kiem-ke-khi-nha-kinh-tu-2024/835759.vnp

News

05

Kick-off workshop on lotus silk value chains to expand flood storage in the Mekong Delta

16

Protecting Black White-Cheeked Gibbons in Son La Province

08

Saving Phu My, one of the Mekong Delta’s last natural grasslands

07

Initiating CSV ideas in the field of carbon reduction

Initiating CSV ideas in the field of carbon reduction

07

New Member Announcement – Investment and Trade Consultancy Company Limited (INTRACO)

New Member Announcement – Investment and Trade Consultancy Company Limited (INTRACO)

21

“Initiating Collaborative CSV Projects” Training

“Initiating Collaborative CSV Projects” Training

21

Networking event “Business and CSOs on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection”

Networking event “Business and CSOs on biodiversity conservation and environmental protection”

10

Gala “Marketing for Development Award” 2022 & Networking Event – CSVHUB

31

The University of Virginia’s education abroad program “Vietnam: An Ecological-Economic Exploration”

The University of Virginia’s education abroad program “Vietnam: An Ecological-Economic Exploration”

14

IUCN-PAN-CP partnership on forest restoration: Piloting the possibility to enter tradable carbon credit market

IUCN-PAN-CP partnership on forest restoration: Piloting the possibility to enter tradable carbon credit market