Danish Ambassador Visits Danida Program in Vietnam

John Nielsen, Danish Ambassador to Vietnam,  found it encouraging that the program in Quang Nam province has made considerable progress in the recent months, he told Chairman of Quang Nam province, Mr. Le Phuoc Thanh, when they met on a working session to review progress on the implementation of the National Target Program for Responding to Climate Change (NTP-RCC). Quang Nam is one of Danida’s (Denmark’s development cooperation) pilot provinces in its climate change program. 

The delegation went on to visit the construction site for a multi-function community shelter in Thang Binh district. During severe floods and storms the facility will provide shelter for up to 300 people in the surrounding community. During normal weather periods, the facility will operate as a health clinic, community house and focal point centre for disaster awareness activities. 

While praising the initiatives of the province to address climate change issues such as storms, floods and droughts, Ambassador John Nielsen also stressed the need for a strategic vision or master plan for climate risk management which incorporates economic development and poverty reduction across the entire province.

The delegation also took the opportunity to visit the sites of Danish supported activities on Cu Lao Cham Island, including the Marine Park Authority and local livelihood development activities – activities which reduce pressure for the exploitation of marine resources while concurrently increasing visitor numbers. Commenced in 2003, it is estimated that 220 households of the 600 on the island benefited directly from the programme. Visitor numbers to the island have increased from 7,000 to 100,000 tourists per year and income of the local people increased three times during the same period.

In 2009 UNESCO officially recognized the outstanding natural features of the islands and the capacity of the management practices to preserve these features, by officially designating the islands for inclusion of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

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