DALAT, Vietnam – Vietnam's Lam Dong provincial government has made a significant commitment for action on climate change by launching the Lam Dong Provincial Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD+) Action Plan (PRAP).  The PRAP is one of the first of its kind in Vietnam and Southeast Asia, and is the result of a three-year collaborative process with the United States Agency for International Development Lowering Emissions in Asia’s Forests (USAID LEAF) program and its partners, including non-governmental organizations, forest owners, private companies,  international organizations and universities.

REDD+ is a mechanism to incentivize improved forest management and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Lam Dong’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) will lead implementation of the plan, in cooperation with other local departments and authorities, including the city, district and commune People’s Committees.

“The PRAP will support the implementation of the National REDD+ Action Plan, and will contribute to the national goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent in the agriculture and rural development sector,” Mr. Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said at a plan launch event on March 22.  The Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee of Lam Dong Province, Mr. Doan Van Viet added: “We would like to appreciate the strong technical and financial support of key partners, especially the USAID LEAF program.”

The Lam Dong PRAP will serve as a regional example of a land use plan that balances economic growth, environmental protection, social equity and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  It will inform and support the overall implementation of the Vietnamese National REDD+ Action Plan and will be integrated into Vietnam’s larger goals for forest protection and development from 2016-2020. With the launch, the PRAP moves from planning to implementation through a series of pilot activities supported by the Vietnamese Government, USAID LEAF and the UN-REDD Program.