Today, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) formalized their partnership on addressing the complex challenges of climate change and environmental pollution through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). USAID’s Vietnam Mission Director Ann Marie Yastishock and MONRE Vice Minister Le Cong Thanh signed the MOU at a ceremony hosted today by MONRE at its headquarters.
“The recent COP26 meetings in Glasgow aimed to accelerate humanity’s cooperation on climate change and underscored the importance of collective action to preserve and protect our environment and planet,” USAID Mission Director Yastishock said at today’s ceremony. “USAID applauds the commitments made by Vietnam’s Prime Minister at COP26, and we are ready to support Vietnam to reach these important goals. This MOU will help facilitate the effective collaboration between USAID and MONRE on climate change and environmental pollution and take us one step closer to bringing greater environmental awareness and change for Vietnam’s citizens and economy.”
With its long and densely populated coast, Vietnam has been ranked by the World Bank as among the top five countries likely to be most affected by climate change. A high proportion of the country’s population and economic assets are located in coastal lowlands and deltas, which are subject to frequent typhoons, floods, droughts, and landslides. In addition, Vietnam faces a series of environmental pollution challenges largely spurred by agriculture, transportation, and industry.
USAID’s collaboration with MONRE will focus on air quality management; integrated water resource management and water security; conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity; ocean plastic, solid waste management and recycling; and reduction of emissions responsible for climate change.
Over the past five years, USAID has been working closely with Vietnam to foster collective action by local actors—including the Government of Vietnam, private sector, social organizations and citizens—to raise awareness of the causes and effects of environmental pollution challenges, and to increase knowledge of effective strategies for reducing environmental pollution. USAID believes that solving complex environmental issues is a long-term process that requires strong collaboration and joint action from Government of Vietnam entities, citizens, the private sector, and local organizations—which all have common concerns and share mutual benefits of addressing specific environmental pollution issues. By empowering local actors to take the lead in identifying and addressing environmental challenges, USAID advances locally-led and -sustained development and contributes to Vietnam's ownership of its prosperity, quality of life and sustainable, green economic growth.