Viet Nam is home to one of Southeast Asia’s most ecologically significant forest landscapes, playing a critical role in sustaining biodiversity, regulating ecosystems, and supporting livelihoods. However, forests have diminished in quality and coverage over the past several decades due to deforestation and forest degradation, contributing to increased greenhouse gas emissions, with the forestry and land-use sector remaining a predominant source.

Viet Nam has made strong commitments under the REDD+ framework to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, including the implementation of the National REDD+ Action Programme, and the development of key systems such as the National Forest Monitoring System and the Forest Reference Emission Level. Following an assessment under the UNFCCC that verified Viet Nam's 2014 emission reductions of 18.72 million tonnes, the country became eligible to access results-based payments (RBP) under GCF’s REDD+ Pilot Programme.

The RBP proceeds will be reinvested through a project targeting six provinces (Phu Tho, Son La, Dien Bien, Lai Chau, Lao Cai, and Tuyen Quang) to tackle the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. By integrating conservation, restoration, and livelihood measures at scale, the project aims to reduce emissions, enhance forest carbon stocks, and build resilience for local communities. Activities include strengthening institutional and regulatory systems for low-emission planning and development, improving the management of land and forest areas to support emissions reductions, and enhancing the value of forests to strengthen local socio-economic development.

By reinvesting payments into the country's most climate-vulnerable and emission-sensitive landscapes, the project ensures compounding benefits — protecting ecosystems, supporting communities, and advancing Viet Nam's NDC and national REDD+ targets toward 2030.