The launch ceremony took place on September 11 in Nam Dinh province in the presence of US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Judith Garber and representatives of four coastal provinces in the delta.

The three-year project, funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by the Vietnam’s Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development, will engage young people to help bring awareness to implementation of practical measures.

Deputy Chairman of Nam Dinh province Bach Ngoc Chien said the weather in recent years has seen irregular patterns with rising rainfall triggering serious flooding and higher temperatures causing prolonged drought.

He added that in Nam Dinh alone, more than half of the population and arable land are located in coastal lowlands, making them highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

Speaking at the ceremony, Acting Assistant Secretary Judith Garber said young people’s ability to identify risks and come up with ways to improve the environment was vital to the future success of this region.

In addition to youth engagement, USAID’s cooperation will help district authorities lead climate change adaptation initiatives and support the role of civil society in the climate change sector.

The READY project will directly work in four districts of four provinces in the Red River Delta: Giao Thuy (Nam Dinh province), Tien Hai (Thai Binh province), Kim Son (Ninh Binh province) in the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve and Cat Hai (Hai Phong city) in the Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve.

The project is also designed to be able to be scaled up to provide similar benefits to communities in other districts, extending its impact and sustainability.