UNDP hands over climate-resilient ponds to Dak Lak

The event was jointly held by the UNDP, the Central Office for Water Resources Projects (CPO), the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Dak Lak.

The activity is within the framework of the project "Strengthening the Resilience of Small-holder Agriculture to Climate Change-Induced Water Insecurity in the Central Highlands and South-Central Coast Regions of Viet Nam" (SACCR project). 

The project is financed by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by UNDP, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the People's Committees of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Khanh Hoa, Ninh Thuan, and Binh Thuan provinces.

In the face of increasingly intensive and severe droughts, the drought-combating solution is always in urgent demand. The project has supported the construction of climate-resilient ponds for poor, near-poor, ethnic minority, and economically women-dependent households. 

In Dak Lak province, by October 30, 2023, the project has completed 70 ponds in 2 districts Krong Pac and Ea Kar, including Krong Pac district (34 ponds) and Ea Kar district (36 ponds). The total capacity of 70 ponds is more than 60,000 m3, with an irrigation area of more than 52 hectares.

Addressing the event, Ms. Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam, said, water is one of the most important factors for plants to grow. Drought, El Nino, and climate change are having a negative impact on water resources. Digging ponds to collect rainwater is a good solution to adapt to the impacts of climate change. 

She expressed her hope that beneficiary households will learn about this project's resilient pond model and replicate it.

The SACCR project was implemented to improve water security and protect the livelihoods of small-holder farmers in the region. By 2026, it is expected that 1,507 climate-resilient ponds will be built, handed over, and put into use operation. 

In Dak Lak province, the project will create 917 new last-mile connection systems, build and upgrade 260 climate-resilient ponds, and support the establishment of 2,335 on-farm water-saving irrigation systems./.