As Vietnam is one of the nations most affected by climate change and sea-level rise, helping Vietnam to adapt to and address climate change in a sustainable and resilient way is a top priority of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The statement was released by Reehana R. Raza in her first official visit to Vietnam this week as the new Regional Director at IFAD in Asia and Pacific.

Reehana R. Raza, Regional Director at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) Asia and Pacific. Photos: IFAD

“Vietnam has been a good example of how to move from vision to action in strengthening communities with climate resilience, economic growth, and decrease of poverty,” Raza said. 

While meeting Vietnamese leadership in Hanoi, Raza reaffirmed IFAD’s support to the country in its national target program on sustainable poverty reduction for 2021-2025 and praised Vietnam’s efforts in moving the development agenda forward.

The visit is aimed to strengthen relationships with Vietnam by meeting with UN development partners and ministries that IFAD works closely with at both national and local levels, including Vice Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong, Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Quoc Doanh, and Vice Minister of Finance Ta Anh Tuan.

Ta Anh Tuan said that IFAD’s projects in Vietnam have introduced innovative initiatives in rural areas, including market-oriented planning, value chain development, and promotion of innovation. He noted “the projects financed by IFAD have proven effective when Vietnam is assessed as one of the successful business cases on poverty reduction, agricultural and rural development.”

On the other hand, Le Quoc Doanh called on IFAD to mobilize senior experts on rural agricultural development to support the ministry in institutional development and implementing the agricultural development strategy.

Reehana R. Raza and foreign experts work with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

In a talk with Caitlin Wiesen, Acting Resident Coordinator for the United Nations in Vietnam, Raza reiterated IFAD’s efforts to increase joint programs with other UN agencies in Vietnam involving in the mobilization of resources for competitive funds, such as Covid-19 Response and Recovery Multi-Partner Trust Fund (Covid-19 MPTF) and SDG funds to support sub-regional initiatives targeting ethnic minorities, young people, and women.

Vietnam and IFAD have written a success story on poverty reduction. Since 1993, IFAD has supported 15 programs and projects in the Southeast Asian country for a total of US$362 million, directly benefiting 738,470 rural households.

“IFAD is proud of its successful collaboration with Vietnam for almost three decades. We wish to deepen, enlarge and expand this cooperation and partnership with Vietnam in a sustainable way,” stated Raza who is an economist and policy expert with over 20 years of experience in formulating and managing innovative economic research while providing technical assistance in human development, governance, and decentralization. She joined IFAD in May 2022 from the Urban Institute in Washington D.C., the US. She previously served as a Senior Economist at the World Bank, Washington D.C. and Research Associate at Overseas Development Institute, London, the UK.

In line with IFAD’s continuing support to Vietnam in climate adaptation, the fund plans to launch a new project to develop climate-smart agricultural value chain in the Mekong provinces of Ben Tre and Tra Vinh in the next few years. 

Reehana R. Raza and international experts work with officials of the Ministry of Planning and Investment.

A local woman who benefits from IFAD-supported project in Cao Bang, Vietnam.