The USAID held a ceremony on in Hanoi, on February 13, to present grants from the SCF to three conservation organisations in Vietnam including: People and Nature Reconciliation (PanNature), Centre for Nature Conservation and Development (CCD), and GreenViet Biodiversity Conservation Centre (GreenViet).
This initiative aims to improve the conservation of key species of wildlife in Vietnam.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vu Van Hung, VFBC Project Director, Deputy Head of the Forestry Projects Management Board, in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said: “The participation of the grantees of the Species Conservation Fund (SCF) would contribute to promoting the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation in National Parks in localities across the country.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Cox, Director of USAID Biodiversity Conservation cum official of WWF-Vietnam said that currently in Vietnam, wildlife conservation receives relatively few resources compared to forestry projects. Therefore, the SCF will provide the necessary funding to local organizations capable of carrying out conservation efforts for some of Vietnam's and the world's priority species, he said.
The Species Conservation Fund (SCF) is a part of the USAID Biodiversity Conservation Activity and aims to strengthen biodiversity conservation in Vietnam, especially through local organisations.
Specifically, the SCF supports local NGOs and research organisations conducting activities that contribute to conserving priority species of wildlife.