UEH Leads UN-Funded Women4Mangrove Project: Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods and Mangrove Restoration Through Women-Led Community Tourism in the Mekong Delta

01 Dec, 2025

In November 2025, the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) officially announced that seven international research projects under the Global Environment Facility (GEF) – UNEP grant program would receive a total of $350,000 in funding through the SEA Grants. This is a flagship pilot program designed to promote sustainable local solutions for marine and coastal conservation across the East Asian Seas. Among them, the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) is honored to be the lead institution for the "Women4Mangrove – Empowering Women for Nature-based Coastal Solutions" project in Vietnam, which aims to develop a model for mangrove conservation and restoration linked to community livelihoods, particularly for women in coastal areas.

The coastal areas of the South China Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, a global hub for shallow-water tropical marine biodiversity, are facing growing threats from environmental degradation, pollution, and climate change. The SEA Grants program is designed to directly empower local action to address these threats. Its goal is to fund initiatives that build community-owned income-generation systems, ensuring that conservation efforts are continuous and sustainable.

UEH is currently the lead institution for the Women4Mangrove project, implemented in Cu Lao Dung (Can Tho). This is one of seven projects funded by the SEA Grants, as part of the SCS SAP Project—an initiative led by UNEP in partnership with UNOPS and COBSEA, funded by the GEF. The project aims to restore Sonneratia caseolaris mangrove forests, develop livelihoods for women, and build a community-based agro-educational tourism model.

The international Women4Mangrove project, led by UEH, aims to promote sustainable livelihoods and mangrove restoration in the Mekong Delta

Leveraging its interdisciplinary research strengths in environment, economics, and policy, along with its extensive network of local and international partners, the Women4Mangrove project will be coordinated by specialized units and research experts from UEH, with the support of local community resources. The project focuses on three main objectives, aimed at restoring natural ecosystems while fostering sustainable livelihoods:

Restoring 5 hectares of mangrove forest and establishing a Nursery Center

Restoring 5 hectares of mangrove forest in the coastal area, contributing to enhanced climate resilience and shoreline protection.
Establishing a nursery center for mangrove seedlings and a training center for reforestation techniques, laying the groundwork for post-project replication.
Applying nature-based planting and restoration methods to ensure long-term sustainability.

Developing livelihoods for women based on local resources

Focusing on distinctive products from the mangrove ecosystem, such as Sonneratia flower tea, dried nipa palm, and handicrafts from natural materials.
Building a closed-loop value chain, from production and processing to communication and consumption.
Enhancing the financial capacity, business skills, and social standing of local women, especially those from low-income and vulnerable groups.

Building a community-based agro-educational tourism model

Developing a community-based tourism (CBT) model linked to mangrove conservation, creating educational experiences about the environment and ecology.
Partnering with schools, businesses, and tourism networks to create a series of experiential learning activities that raise awareness of coastal resource conservation.
Contributing to income diversification for local residents, reducing pressure on forest resource exploitation.

Learn more about the project at its website:https://women4mangrove.com/

The Women4Mangrove project marks a significant step in UEH's multidisciplinary, sustainable, and community-oriented strategy. It also directly contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). UEH's involvement in this project also strengthens its applied research capacity, expands its international cooperation network, and reinforces its role in the fields of sustainable development, climate adaptation, and ecosystem governance.

Through the Women4Mangrove project and other international cooperation programs, UEH continues to affirm its position as a university that innovates, leads with knowledge, and serves the community, making tangible contributions to global efforts to protect coastal ecosystems and promote sustainable livelihoods for women. UEH is committed to partnering with stakeholders to spread positive values, co-create green, inclusive, and humane development models that align with national strategies and the UNEP/GEF vision of "community-led sustainable ecosystems."

Pillars: Research, Community Connection

Project: UEH Connecting

News, photos: Project Management Board, Department of Communications and Partnerships