The journey to restore sloping lands, reforest native areas, and build sustainable livelihoods in Lao Cai province, Vietnam.
Beeld: © CRED
Following Super Typhoon Yagi, which caused widespread damage to upland landscapes in Lào Cai Province, a renewed commitment emerged among government institutions, international partners, and local communities to restore degraded hillsides and strengthen climate resilience. Building on long-standing development cooperation in northern Viet Nam, this reforestation initiative reflects a shared vision to link ecological recovery with sustainable livelihoods and long-term environmental stewardship.
This article highlights how national leadership, international donor support - particularly from the Dutch Government - and local implementation partners have come together to turn post-disaster recovery into an opportunity for green growth and community resilience.
Background
After Typhoon Yagi swept across Lào Cai in 2024, its presence could still be felt on the land. The storm had passed, and emergency support had helped families rebuild their lives, yet the hillsides in communes like Bản Liền and Bảo Yên remained bare and vulnerable. Replanting trees was urgently needed, but for many households recovering from loss, the cost of reforestation was simply out of reach. The mountains stood exposed, and so did the worries of the people who depended on them.
Beeld: © CRED
Recognising this challenge, national authorities and development partners identified reforestation as a priority intervention - both to stabilise landscapes and to support long-term rural livelihoods. These efforts aligned with broader national objectives on climate adaptation, forest restoration, and sustainable land management.
Growing together
In early 2025, renewed public attention to Bản Liền - following its feature in a Ministry of Agriculture and Environment–supported television programme - highlighted both the area’s cultural richness and its environmental vulnerability. This visibility reinforced the Government’s call for coordinated action to restore degraded uplands.
Beeld: © CRED
With financial support from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of the Netherlands, channeled through the Netherlands Embassy in Viet Nam, a reforestation programme was launched in Bản Liền and Bảo Yên. The Dutch contribution played a catalytic role, providing the resources needed to move from short-term recovery to a structured, long-term reforestation initiative linked to climate and green growth objectives.
Within this framework, the Center for Rural Economy Development (CRED) acted as the local implementing organisation, drawing on its long-standing experience in agroforestry, community engagement, and sustainable rural development in Lào Cai. CRED was responsible for on-the-ground coordination, technical implementation, and day-to-day engagement with participating households and local authorities.
Launched in July 2025, the project engaged ten ethnic minority households - Tày, Dao, H’Mông, and Nùng - who have long lived in and relied on these forests. Each household committed to caring for the trees for a 20-year cycle, turning reforestation into both livelihood and shared responsibility.
By August 2025, 15,000 seedlings - including Canarium, Michelia, Pinus kesiya for Bản Liền and Tectona, Michelia, Chukrasia for Bảo Yên - had been planted across 10 hectares of bare hills. Local forestry officers and CRED experts ensured technical precision, proper soil preparation, and early care so that each sapling could thrive on the slopes.
Beeld: © CRED
Despite difficult weather and impassable roads during the rainy season, the villagers persisted daily, seeing the act of planting as sowing hope on their own land. After two months, the survival rate reached over 95%, a remarkable achievement reflecting strong coordination between technical experts, local authorities, and the communities.
“This program is truly meaningful for us - it helps green the hills, prevent landslides, and creates savings for our future,” shared Ms. Vàng Thị Vấn from Pác Kẹ village, Bản Liền commune.
A future taking root
Beyond replanting trees, the initiative was designed to create long-term environmental and economic value. With continued donor support, the programme was linked to a carbon certification roadmap through technical partners, enabling baseline assessments and future access to voluntary carbon markets.
In this model, the Dutch Government provides strategic financing and international linkage, technical partners support certification and measurement, and CRED implements field activities and community engagement. As forests mature, participating households are expected to benefit from carbon revenues, creating a sustainable incentive for forest stewardship.
Today, once-barren slopes in Bản Liền and Bảo Yên are turning green again. Soil stability is improving, water sources are recovering, and communities are gaining confidence in a future shaped by cooperation between local people, government leadership, and international partners.
Beeld: © CRED
The trees planted today are more than protection against landslides - they are an investment in the future, one built collaboratively by local people, government, and international partners. A future that grows strong and steady, true to the spirit: Greening the slopes – Strengthening the forests – Sustaining livelihoods.
More information
Do you have any questions for the Agriculture Department at the Netherlands Embassy in Vietnam? If so, please send an email to HAN-LVVN@minbuza.nl or HCM-LVVN@minbuza.nl. For the latest updates, news, funding opportunities and more, follow our LinkedIn: Netherlands Agricultural Network in Vietnam.