1/ Project background
- M?t B?i ?? (MBD) rice variety, which is highly tolerant to drought and salinity, has been contaminated and severely deteriorated over time. This has resulted in reduced rice yield and quality, and affected the income of coastal communities in the Mekong Delta region. In addition, this also led to shortage of quality seed supply to meet growing demand of the region.
- In the Mekong Delta coastal region, freshwater shortage and freshwater/saline-water conflict in the rice-shrimp farming areas are frequently observed towards the end of MBD crop season. Freshwater shortage could severely reduce rice yield while closing sluices to prevent saline water could affect shrimp farming.

2/ Project objectives
a) Overall objective:
Community awareness raising and capacity building to manage land as well as water resources; effective exploitation of saline-alkaline lands for rice cultivation; development and expansion of rice-shrimp farming model using MBD rice variety, all of which contribute to poverty reduction and new rural development of the region.
b) Specific objectives:
1. Raise community awareness and understanding on the impacts of climate change and the urgency of applying management as well as technical measures for effective use of land, water and biodiversity resources in rice-shrimp farming.
2. Expand and develop model of sustainable rice-shrimp farming in saline-alkaline and freshwater/saline-water conflict lands of the Mekong Delta coastal region.
3. Review and evaluate results of the model, draw lessons learned for sharing with relevant stakeholders, and propose measures for model replication and transfer.

3/ Project approaches
Among the climate change adaptation measures, minimizing adverse impacts of climate change is the most relevant, effective and economic in regards to Vietnam existing situation. Communities need to choose appropriate production techniques on the basis of combining indigenous knowledge and advanced technology and science, in order to overcome challenges and exert advantages for achieving sustainable development.
Many coastal areas in Bac Lieu are affected by drought and saline water intrusion, resulting in low yield and deterioration of local rice crops that require long cultivation time (over 4 months). Project ?Expand the development of rice-shrimp farming model, in order to effectively and sustainably manage and exploit saline-alkaline lands in Bac Lieu? will undertake the following approaches:
(1) Raise awareness and build capacity to reduce climate change impacts on all socio-economic activities and the living environment of local communities, through media, trainings, workshops and experience sharing with environmental as well as scientific experts.
(2) Organize the co-production of MBD rice, which is drought- and salinity-tolerant, high-yield and good-quality. Organize groups to manage irrigation water for rice-shrimp farming.
(3) Improve the integrated farming technique for drought and salinity-tolerant rice varieties, such as reducing potassium fertilizer, increasing lime fertilization, applying irrigation measures, reducing chemical pesticides, using organic fertilizer and bio-pesticides, etc. in rice-crayfish or rice-fish inter-cropping farming, and transfer techniques to farmers to ensure food safety and hygiene.
(4) Improve tiger shrimp extensive-farming technique, productivity and economic efficiency. Improve and apply indigenous techniques such as ?soil tillage? to reduce 20-25% of Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium (NPK) fertilizer on MBD rice, straw burning, or using straw for growing mushrooms to reduce organic poisoning.

4/ Project activities
4.1. Main activities
1. Improve community awareness and understanding of climate change impacts, drought, saline water intrusion, rice crop deterioteration, and community livelihoods. Strengthen capacity of local staff in effectively exploiting land, water and biodiversity resources. Help farmers in Bac Lieu develop sustainable rice-shrimp farming model.
2. Improve integrated farming technique for rice-shrimp extensive-farming, inter-cropping of rice-crayfish or rice-fish in the saline-alkaline or freshwater/saline-water conflict lands.
3. Review and evaluate the results of the model. Draw lessons learned. Propose methods to replicate and transfer the model.
4.2. Activities description
Activities group 1
Activity 1.1.1:
Create 300 project leaflets and 2 posters to raise awareness and understanding of climate change impacts and the urgency of applying effective measures for exploiting land and water resources, especially in rice-shrimp farming.
Activity 1.1.2:
Integrate and advocate the model through activities of local mass organizations such as Farmers' Association, Women's Union, clubs, production groups, etc.
Activity 1.1.3:
Collaborate with provincial/commune radio and television to disseminate information on the project model, with approximately 10-15 articles and 1-2 documentaries.
Activity 1.2.1:
Organize training-of-trainer workshops (5 workshops, 1 day each) for 16 skillful farmers to become key members of local co-production groups, apply advanced techniques of MBD rice cultivation, tiger shrimp extensive-farming, crayfish or fish inter-cropping in rice fields.
Activity 1.2.2:
Organize 9 trainings (1 day each) on community-based rice-seed production technique, advanced techniques on MBD rice cultivation and tiger shrimp extensive-farming. Combine both technical training and farm field school for a total of 450 farmers from each commune.
Activity 1.3.1:
Organize 5 workshops (1 day each) to discuss and exchange experience on MBD rice cultivation and tiger shrimp extensive-farming techniques for 200 farmers in Phuoc Long and its neighboring communes.
Activities group 2
Activity 2.1.1:
Form 4 household-based co-production groups (1 group/hamlet). Organize the production, storage and supply of MBD rice variety, based on household-based seeding technique, technical training and practice, and seed distribution management method.
- Identify the quantity need of each crop season: the total area of Phuoc Long is 7,432 hectares including 4,130 hectares of agricultural land, of which 3,700 hectares is used for rice-shrmip inter-cropping farming model. By calculations, with an average use of 70-100 kg of seeds per hectare, 260-370 tonnes of seeds are needed for one crop season. With the average yield of 4.5 tonnes per hectare, approximately 80-100 hectares of land are needed for seeding purpose in order to supply to the whole commune (including 15-20% of seed reserve).
- Operation of rice co-production groups: the group is established by the decision of the Commune People?s Committee (CPC), with the objective to produce MBD seeds under the guidance of experts from Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, and following the procedure set by MARD. The group operates based on self-financing and self-gorverning modality. After the group is formed, the board proceeds with field selection, household selection, and household group setup.
- Establish seed production cooperation: evaluate the operation of co-production groups, in order to establish Phuoc Long MBD seed production cooperation.
Activity 2.1.2:
Irrigation groups are established (including 4 village chiefs) by the decision of Phuoc Long CPC to manage and distribute freshwater and saline water for rice-shrimp farming. Irrigation groups, in collaboration with the Commune Board of irrigation, manage inter-commune regulation to ensure water supply for the project areas.
Organize water management groups for field clearing, ditch dredging within the ?closed irrigation zone? of the project area.
Activity 2.2.1:
Design survey, select fields, construct criteria, and select households to join the pilot.
Activity 2.2.2:
Technical guideline: till lands, discharge salt and alkaline, reduce fertilizer, limit the use of pesticides and herbicides, alternate crayfish and fish during rice season to increase income.
Activity 2.2.3:
Technical guideline: clear ponds, keep straw after harvesting to feed shrimp, control seed quality, monitor breed density, size, type, quantity of food supplement, pest control and handling.
Activity 2.2.4:
Technical guideline: use lime, phosphate and urea fertilizers to balance pH concentration in shrimp ponds, facilitate algae growth as shrimp food, and avoid excessive growth of algae that could affect the pH-oxygen balance in shrimp ponds.
Improve technical procedure for shrimp extensive-farming in freshwater/saline-water conflict lands, by undertaking land tillage; reducing NPK fertilizer on rice; burning straw or using straw for growing mushrooms to avoid organic poisoning during the early stages of shrimp farming; determining the appropriate areas for shrimp ponds as well as rice cultivation.
Activity 2.2.5:
Guideline for the application of advanced techniques in rice cultivation such as ?3 reduce, 3 increase? method; integrated intensive rice cultivation; integrated crop management; need-based plant fertilization, reducing nitrogen fertilizer, increasing phosphate fertilizer and using appropriate potassium fertilizer quantity; using Trichoderma spp. biocontrol agent, processing straw; applying integrated pest management (IPM) method.
Improve integrated rice cultivation technique within the rice-shrimp and rice-fish inter-cropping system.
Activities group 3
Activity 3.1.1:
Develop technical guideline on rice-shrimp integrated farming; effective use of land, water and biodiversity resources in saline-alkaline and freshwater/saline-water conflict lands of the Mekong Delta coastal region.
Activity 3.1.2:
Organize Appraisal Committee for assessing the technical guideline on rice-shrimp integrated farming system, effective use of land, water and biodiversity resources in saline-alkaline and freshwater/saline-water conflict lands.
Activity 3.2.1:
Monitor, collect and draw lessons learned on organizing co-production households, community irrigation activities, and rice-shrimp integrated farming techniques.
Activity 3.2.2:
Monitor and evaluate the effectivenss of the Community Development Fund.
Activity 3.2.3:
Organize mid-term and final evaluation conferences on the project implementation and results achieved.
Organize conference to summarize and propose methods for replicating and transferring integrated farming techniques of rice-tiger shrimp, rice-crayfish, rice-fish; effective use of land, water and biodiversity resources in saline-alkaline and freshwater/saline-water conflict lands of the Mekong Delta coastal region.

5/ Community and stakeholders participation
a) Coordination among participating units:
+ Responsibilities of the Project Management Unit (PMU):
- Develop project plan and budget
- Select consultants to provide technical support for the project
- Draft and sign technical assistance consultancy contract
- Monitor and manage the technical assistance consultancy contract
- Organize project activities based on plan that has been approved by GEF/SGP with technical assistance of the consultants
- Coordinate with consultants and beneficiary organizations to procure equipments and materials for the pilot model
- Monitor and evaluate the project, submit progress reports to GEF/SGP, local government and relevant agencies
- Manage the budget funded by GEF/SGP
- Establish partnerships with local government and relevant agencies to enlist support for project implementation
- Archive project documents
- Inform and discuss with GEF/SGP on issues and challenges arisen during the project implementation, in order to find solutions and propose necessary changes in the project proposal
- Support GEF/SGP in the monitoring, management and evaluation of the project
+ Responsibilities of the Consultants:
- Be responsible for site surveying and selection, household selection, field selection based on defined criteria, ensure fair and transparent implementation of the pilot model
- Design survey and develop budget for implementing the pilot model
- Provide technical assistance to develop pilot model, collect information and data, monitor and evaluate the project
- Prepare content, invite experts to participate in training sessions, organize workshops for farmers and project staff to evaluate the project
- Support the PMU to develop technical content for conferences, workshops, dialogues, study tours, project adjustment and other related matters
- Compile technical guidelines as required by the Appraisal Committee
- Track and summarize lessons learned from the project
- Compile regular, mid-term and final technical as well as financial reports
b) Community participation:
1. Community participation:
Community participation is a decisive factor for the success and sustainability of the project. The project uses community-based approach, promoting the role of beneficiaries in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project. During project design and planning, stakeholder consultation was conducted to identify the most urgent needs and propose solutions to problems, including MBD rice seed production, droughts, saline water intrusion, application of technological advances in water-saving irrigation, fertilization methods, use of pesticides in rice-shrimp and rice-fish farmings to ensure effective and sustainable exploitation of land, water and biodiversity resources. The livelihoods of communities in the project areas are particularly of interest during the project implementation. Community participation is facilitated in all project activities, such as trainings, technical and financial assistance. The investigation, surveying, planning as well as policy recommendations are all based on participatory community consultation. Indigenous knowledge and production practices of Khmer community is also taken into consideration during project design and implementation. In return, the community benefits from the project achievements. Project information is disseminated to the community through local mass media, meetings, trainings, workshops, and communication materials. During the implementation process, the development of pilot models, community participated in selecting households and the signing of contracts. Mechanisms to ensure the fairness for beneficiary community is also introduced.
Role of women in the project: The project also pays attention to gender issues, identifying women as one of the groups significantly impacted by climate change. In the training and technical workshops, there will be at least 30% female participants including project staff. Union officials, female farmer members will be the direct beneficiaries, to be equipped with understanding of science and technology application in production, enhanced ability to adapt to climate change events such as flooding, drought, saline water intrusion that is causing serious impacts on the livelihoods of the communities, of which over 50% are women. Women, in rural areas of Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta region in particular, are responsible for managing household finances and expenses. Therefore, it is necessary to convince them to invest in their household production with the application of new technologies.
2. Pariticpation of local governmental departments and agencies:
The project witnesses close cooperation and coordination between the Provincial and Communal Farmers? Association, Phuoc Long CPC and relevant departments and agencies, such as Agricultural Extension Center, Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Science and Technology. The collaboration aims to implement project activities:
- The integration and coordination in implementating programmes and projects with similar objectives to project CLUES (Climate change affecting land use in the Mekong Delta: adaptation of rice cropping system) funded by the Australian Government in Phuoc Long. This project would be completed in early 2015.
- Organize advocacy activities on the environment and the project model; trainings on seed production and rice fertilization techniques based on ?3 reduce, 3 increase? method; water-saving management; and IPM.
- Establish partnerships with agencies/organizations such as Agricultural Extension Center, Fisheries Extension Center to mobilize support for the model deployment, trainings, workshops; complete seed production and rice-shrimp farming procedures in the context of climate change. Representatives of Phuoc Long CPC participate in the PMU to provide support to the Farmers? Association.
6/ Expected results:
- Improve the community-based rice production procedure of MBD rice in the context of climate change.
- Improve the shrimp extensive-farming procedure within the rice-shrimp farming system.
- Improve indigenous techniques, such as identifying appropriate proportions of shrimp trench and rice field areas, soil tillage technique, straw burning to save fertilizer in MBD rice farming.
- Rice-shrimp or rice-fish inter-cropping techniques to increase income of farmers in the project area.
- Establish irrigation groups, co-production groups to provide MBD rice seeds for local communities.