With the recent updating of Viet Nam’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has to strengthen its policies and programs to achieve the mitigation targets in the agriculture sector. To support MARD’s adaptation and mitigation efforts, several innovations (i.e., AWD, CS-MAP, ACB, rice straw-based green circular economy model) under the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) are being mainstreamed in Viet Nam’s national policies (NDC, National Strategy on Green Growth) and local programs, particularly in the Mekong Delta.
Recently, Viet Nam updated its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in the agriculture sector to develop and implement stronger greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction measures with its own resources, along with the cooperation and support of the international community. In the new NDC, the agriculture mitigation targets are almost doubled, specifically an 82% and 97% increase for unconditional and conditional contributions, respectively. New policies and master plans related to agriculture adaptation and mitigation are added in the NDC, such as the National Climate Change Strategy to 2050 with net zero target, National Strategy on Green Growth 2021–2030, and Master Plan for the Mekong Delta in the period of 2021–2030, vision to 2050.
To contribute to achieving the country’s Climate Adaptation and Mitigation goals in agriculture, several innovations under the CGIAR Initiative on Asian Mega-Deltas (AMD) are being mainstreamed in Viet Nam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) national policies and local programs.
In the updated NDC, alternate wetting and drying (AWD), developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and one of the innovation packages under AMD, is listed, for the first time, as a measure for methane reduction in agriculture in Viet Nam’s NDC[1]. AWD and other measures in rice farming and management of agricultural by-products are projected to achieve the 30% reduction in methane emission from 2020 levels by 2033.
“AMD provides a platform for integration of CGIAR innovations in Viet Nam. For example, CS-MAP and ACB are linked to provide effective risk management from the provincial to commune levels. These interventions, including the rice straw composting, are contributing to the achievement of our goals in the Mekong Delta Plan 2030.” – Mr Le Thanh Tung, Deputy Director, Department of Crop Production
The Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP), developed by IRRI and Viet Nam’s Department of Crop Production (DCP) to promote evidence-based delta development planning under AMD, has been integrated to MARD Decision No. 3444 on the Action Plan to implement the National Strategy on Green Growth 2021–2030[2]. Effectively implemented in five agroecological regions of Viet Nam, including the Mekong River Delta (MRD) region, CS-MAP is a participatory approach that integrates local knowledge and science-based research in developing maps of climate-related risks and adaptation plans for crop production, suitable to location-specific conditions. As the action point on “Developing a climate change adaptation map (CS-MAP) system for all localities”, CS-MAP is selected as one of the strategies under the category of environmental protection to develop green infrastructure that adapts to climate change and reduces GHG emissions.
At the local levels, regional and provincial offices under MARD are scaling the Agro-Climatic Bulletin (ACB) and rice straw composting business model. Developed by the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT and DCP, ACBs are agricultural advisories based on climate and weather forecasts, which are co-developed with actors along the climate service value chain and disseminated through locally relevant and appropriate communication channels. ACB has been scaled to 342 communes in seven provinces (130,000 farmers) in the MRD, making use of seasonal and monthly/10-day agro-climatic advisories through Zalo groups and other communication channels (posters, loudspeakers, YouTube, meetings)[3]. Part of AMD’s effort of de-risking delta-oriented value chains in MRD, ACB is integrated into provincial and regional plans, specifically, the seven provinces in the region have issued seasonal work plans to implement ACBs in Summer–Autumn 2022 and Winter–Spring 2022–2023, and DCP Southern office has issued official letters directing the implementation of ACBs in the whole of MRD[4].
Implemented by IRRI and the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City, the mechanized rice straw composting was pilot-tested by the New Green Farm Cooperative in 2022. To improve deltaic production systems in MRD under AMD, this rice straw-based green circular economy model includes composting and mushroom farming using rice straw aimed at supporting low-emission and organic rice farming. With remarkable results, including increased income among farmers, the Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City issued a memorandum endorsing the replication of the model across the different districts in Can Tho[5].
References
- Viet Nam NDC 2022.
- MARD Decision 3444 — Action Plan — National Strategy on Green Growth 2021–2030.
- De-RISK SEA (2018–2022): Key results and outcomes.
- Integration of Agro-climatic Bulletins (ACBs) into regional directive letter of Department of Crop Production (DCP)/Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Integration of Agro-climatic Bulletins (ACBs) into provincial seasonal work plans of Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
- Letter issued by Sub-Department of Crop Production and Plant Protection of Can Tho City on the Replication of IRRI’s “Mechanized rice straw composting” model dated Jan. 2, 2023.
Header image: A workshop on Climate-Smart Mapping and Adaptation Planning (CS-MAP) to adjust the cropping pattern and the planting schedule of rice production in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. Photo by Eisen Bernardo/IRRI