Cần Thơ, March 20, 2026 - The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Viet Nam, in collaboration with the Mekong Conservancy Foundation (MCF) and partners, organized the workshop “Green Value Chains for a climate-resilient Mekong Delta” The event aims to promote sustainable livelihood models linked to native plant species while strengthening connections between businesses and communities to develop export-oriented green value chains.  

The Mekong Delta is a critically important ecological-economic region of Viet Nam, serving as a key hub for rice, aquaculture, and fruit production, ensuring food security and economic development for both domestic and international markets. However, the region is facing increasing challenges, including climate change, salinity intrusion, land subsidence, degradation of land and water resources, and growing pressure on livelihood transitions for millions of people, particularly vulnerable groups.

To address these challenges, the Government of Viet Nam has issued Resolution 120/NQ-CP and the Mekong Delta Regional Master Plan for 2021–2030, emphasizing a “living with nature” development approach and restructuring agriculture toward sustainability. This approach promotes livelihood diversification, reduces dependence on rice cultivation, shifts away from inefficient farming models, and strengthens ecosystem protection and resource management across saline, brackish, and freshwater sub-regions. In this context, livelihood models based on native timber and fiber species such as Scirpus littoralis, sedge (Cyperus malaccensis), bamboo, and melaleuca are emerging as promising pathways. These species not only generate income but also support environmental restoration, supply inputs for green industries such as textiles, paper, and wood processing, and play an important role in erosion control and climate resilience across the region.

However, this potential remains underutilized. Production is still fragmented, linkages are weak, and spontaneous, unplanned cultivation practices remain common. The adoption of advanced techniques is limited, leading to inconsistent raw material quality. At the same time, logistics infrastructure and supply chains are insufficient to support large-scale raw material zones, increasing transportation costs and reducing competitiveness. The lack of zoning maps and resource data also makes businesses hesitant to make long-term investment decisions in the Mekong Delta. Meanwhile, international markets are imposing increasingly stringent requirements on traceability, sustainability certification (such as FSC), and anti-deforestation regulations (such as the EU Deforestation Regulation - EUDR), requiring transparent and standardized raw material systems from the outset of production.

Ms. Ramla Khalidi, Resident Representative of UNDP in Viet Nam, emphasized: “These challenges require us to shift our development approach toward working with nature rather than against it. Through the Nature Transition Support Programme, with generous support from the United Kingdom, UNDP is working with partners to build scientific foundations and practical solutions to promote a nature-positive economic transition”

In this context, climate-adaptive agriculture linked to ecosystem-based green value chains is becoming a key pathway to enhance economic value while strengthening resilience and climate adaptation. The workshop serves as a platform connecting government, science, businesses, and local communities to discuss enabling conditions for developing these value chains.

At the workshop, experts presented ecological zoning maps and scientific research findings on the distribution and development potential of timber and fiber species in the Mekong Delta.  

Ms. Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Huyền, Managing Director of MCF, stated: “These are expected to serve as a scientific basis for local authorities and businesses to identify potential raw material zones for developing related commodity value chains, while also supporting the integration of data into socio-economic and land-use planning.”

In addition to policy and technical discussions, the programme also featured a green value chain exhibition area, showcasing products derived from native materials as well as models of production, processing, and commercialization.

Green transformation in the Mekong Delta will not achieve large-scale impact without the proactiveness of the private sector. While public policy provides direction and an enabling framework, businesses act as a critical lever to translate ecological potential into markets, investment, technology, standards, and stable market access for local communities. Conversely, stronger private sector engagement depends on the availability of reliable data on raw material zones, appropriate supporting infrastructure, clear linkage mechanisms, and close collaboration with local authorities, research institutions, and development organizations.

Associate Professor Dr. Ngô Thị Thanh Trúc from Cần Thơ University emphasized: “In the long term, developing green value chains is not only about creating additional livelihoods, but also about restructuring the regional economy to align with ecological conditions, reduce dependence on inefficient models, and increase value creation locally.”

If systematically invested in and developed, value chains based on native species can simultaneously generate income for communities, restore landscapes, enhance resilience and climate adaptation, reduce pressure on natural resources, and open opportunities to access green markets. This is also a pathway to translate green growth, climate adaptation, and ecosystem conservation goals into practical and feasible solutions at the local level.

For any media inquiries, please contact:    

Phan Huong Giang    
UNDP Media and Communication Analyst, Climate Change and Environment    
Email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org  
Tel: 0948466688

Lý Văn Lợi 
Project Coordinator 
Mekong Conservancy Foundation (MCF) 
Email: lvloi@ctu.edu.vn