§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance her Department has provided for the floods in Vietnam; and what environmental management projects her Department supports in Vietnam. [135061]
§ Clare ShortWe have provided a total of £1.15 million in response to the International Federation of the Red Cross and Crescent Societies (IFRC) Emergency Appeal to alleviate the suffering of flood victims in the Mekong watershed of Vietnam. This has contributed to meeting immediate needs (food, plastic sheeting and clothing) and to longer term livelihood support for families that will remain food insecure for some considerable time. Relief organisations placed a high priority on locally constructed boats to provide families with transport and the opportunity to catch and sell fish. This in turn assists families to buy rice and other staples and should reduce immediate dependence and bring medium-term benefits 517W by re-establishing sustainable livelihoods. We have contributed a further £80,000 as our share of the European Commission Humanitarian Assistance to flood relief.
We have mainstreamed support for the environment rather than supporting specific environmental projects in Vietnam. We recognise that most environmental trends are adverse and have significant detrimental impacts on the health and livelihoods of poor people. Our rural poverty reduction programmes in Vietnam incorporate environmental and sustainability considerations. The Ha Tinh Poverty Alleviation Programme supports the construction of sea dykes, mangrove replanting and integrated pest management (IPM) all of which reduce vulnerability and improve people's livelihoods. Broader rural poverty reduction programmes currently being designed will incorporate environmental and sustainability perspectives, ensuring that rural infrastructure is assessed for environmental impact and seeking better ways of using natural resources in supporting the livelihoods of poor people.
We are also considering ways of mainstreaming sustainability issues within broader national policy formulation, through, for example, the Poverty Reduction Strategy process.