Oxfam climate change project benefits Vietnam's Ben Tre
Hanoi - A climate change response project launched by United Kingdom's (UK) charity, Oxfam, has benefited 15 communities in the southern province of Ben Tre since 2012, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reported.
Funded by the New Zealand Government, the five-year project, "Building resilience to disasters and climate change risks for men and women", is improving the capacity of local people in disaster management and climate change adaptation.
The project supports livelihoods for poor and vulnerable groups like the elderly, children and the disabled along with adding the supply of clean water and local hygiene.
According to VNA, Ben Tre is facing negative impacts of climate change like environmental pollution, typhoons and heavy floods.
In 2013, it provided the 15 communities with early warning disaster equipment and other machines worth over 1.4 billion VND (RM218,011.94) while training courses on community-based disaster management and disaster risk reduction were also opened.
Meanwhile, as many as 37 watermelon farming households received essential equipment while 237 breeding goats were distributed to other farming families.
In coordination with the Centre for Clean Water and Environment Hygiene, the project also assisted the construction of water containers in Ba Tri district's Tan Xuan and Bao Thuan communities.
During the year, the project ran 54 activities at a total cost of over 17 billion VND (RM2.66 million).