On July 26, 2022, the Government of Vietnam approved a National Climate Change Strategy to meet its pledge to become a net-zero carbon emissions country by 2050. The strategy commits Vietnam to cut total emissions from forestry and land use by 70 percent, and to increase carbon sequestration from forest and land use by 20 percent by 2023. The USAID Sustainable Forest Management project is helping the Government of Vietnam to reach this forestry and land use target, with a focus on improving and effectively managing more than 260,000 hectares of forest in seven provinces of Vietnam. During fiscal year 2022, the project helped create jobs in non-production forest areas (e.g. parks, conservation zones, watershed protection areas) and in ecotourism after project support to community forest management interventions improved communities’ ability to protect, restore, enrich, and monitor community forests.
Vietnam’s delegation to COP27 submitted updated emissions reductions commitments within its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Vietnam’s forests play a critical role in meeting Vietnam’s NDC commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. To meet this target, Vietnam has indicated it needs international support. Better managing and protecting forests to increase carbon sequestration and storage, and enhance carbon sinks is one way in which USAID is helping Vietnam to meet its ambitious climate commitments.
