Land-Based Mitigation Technologies for Vietnam
As part of the LANDMARC deliverable “D2.1: National Narratives” the Vietnam team has been refining the technology focus of the case study.
Vietnam is a low-lying country in Southeast Asia with a densely populated coastal zone that is strongly dependent on tourism and agriculture. Current coping strategies relating to climate risks have shown to be ineffective, and the increasing impacts of climate change pose serious impediments to sustaining progress in the country. It has therefore become an imperative objective of the Vietnamese government to respond to this immense challenge, so climate actions count on institutional support. The assessed LMTs in Vietnam are:
Biochar: Biochar is already part of local knowledge and produced artisanally on small scale. Biochar is also produced on a larger scale using modern machinery. The main feedstock is rice, maize and coffee husks, however, it is unclear to what degree biochar is applied to soil and there is a lack of research on the benefits for agricultural production and soil carbon sequestration
Afforestation: In the late 1980s, the government of Vietnam initiated major policy reforms and ambitious forest and replanting programs. By 2017, total forest cover reached again 14.4 mln ha, covering 42 percent of the country, supporting economic growth, job creation, and poverty alleviation. While the overall forest area has been increasing, the quality of the forest continues to deteriorate.
Agroforestry: Agroforestry is a well established technique in Vietnam, linked with the cultivation of coffee and tea. Eight key agroforestry systems; have been identified in Vietnam, with a total area covering 820,000 hectares, which is 92% of the total area with agroforestry systems. These eight agroforestry systems in Vietnam sequester a total of 1346 ± 92 mil tCO2eq. both above-ground, below-ground and soil organic carbon.
Agricultural management practices: Organic fertilizers, integrated soil fertility management, low-tillage, mulch, cover crops, intercropping, etc. can have positive co-benefits on soil carbon sequestration, particularly when several of these practices are combined. Only few studies have been identified in the context of Vietnam.
