Dien Bien, 28 August 2018 – Despite mainly living on agriculture, farmers in general and ethnic minority farmers in particular in the Northern mountainous areas still do not have sufficient and regular access to downscaled climate and weather information. The international development organisation CARE International in Vietnam today kicks off a new project to address this gap. Project “Information for adaptation in Vietnam” (InfoAct for short) aims to help ethnic minority farmers in Dien Bien and Lai Chau provinces improve their livelihoods and ability to adapt to climate change by supporting local people to access and apply climate information.
“Farmers increasingly recognise climate and weather changes as compared to their parents and previous generations’ time. However, it is not always easy for them to have good information related to weather and climate. Besides, they are often not able to interpret such information apply to their farming and livestock raising,” said Ms. Le Kim Dung, Country Director of CARE International in Vietnam, “We hope the InfoAct project will not only solve this problem but also helps people in the ethnic minority communities in the Northern mountainous areas to access social protection services so they can effectively overcome weather changes.”
The InfoAct project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with a 1.5 million Euro budget. It will be implemented from 2018 to 2021 in two provinces, Dien Bien and Lai Chau. Other co-implementing partners include Dien Bien Center for Community Development (CCD), Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and Lai Chau Women’s Union. At least 2,000 Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) will be set up with roughly 5,000 female members who will directly produce and apply climate change advisories with the guidance and support from local extension officers. About 2,000 women will join a pilot insurance model. At the same time, the capacity of local partners will be improved to develop climate newsletters and commune-level seasonal advisories.
This project is based on the long-term expertise of CARE across the globe and in Vietnam in establishing VSLAs. By 2020, CARE International in Vietnam will have supported the setup of around 1,000 VSLAs nationwide. This project also makes use of the experience of CARE and CCD in Dien Bien in helping farmers develop and apply commune-level advisories, which in the past contributed to increased rice productivity and reduced fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides.
For more information, please contact
Vu Thi Huong Giang, Communications Specialist
CARE International in Vietnam
Tel: 0902141200
Email: vuthihuong.giang@care.org.vn
About CARE International in Vietnam
CARE is an international humanitarian aid organisation fighting global poverty and social injustice.
In Vietnam, CARE has implemented nearly 300 projects in over 40 provinces nationwide. At present, CARE works with communities, local and central governments, international and national organisations and individuals to bring lasting change to vulnerable populations, especially women, by addressing the root causes of poverty and social injustice. At the same time, CARE continues to deliver humanitarian and emergency assistance in times of crisis such as natural disasters.
Previously, CARE International worked in Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 to address immediate needs by supporting local food supply, health care and education. From 1989-2015, CARE International in Vietnam has supported agricultural and rural development, livelihood creation, community development, health care and reproductive health, HIV/ AIDS prevention and control, disaster risk reduction and mitigation, climate change response, emergency relief and rehabilitation, water and sanitation, and the advancement of gender equality.
Website: www.care.org.vn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAREinVietnam/
About VSLAs globally (English): https://bit.ly/2vWTWiL
About VSLAs in Vietnam (Vietnamese): https://bit.ly/2MFe9Dg
Results from applying commune-level advisories (Vietnamese): https://bit.ly/2MBce2n
Photo album of VSLA activities: https://bit.ly/2L9aNmX