On the morning of March 10, 2025, at Co Hai Garden Homestay in Cu Lao Dung, Soc Trang province, the GS4Infra project successfully organized a policy dialogue on “GEDSI in Water- Energy-Climate Infrastructure design and operation” with the participation of representatives from relevant sectors. Specifically, local attendees included officials from the Soc Trang Provincial People’s Committee, the Soc Trang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Soc Trang Provincial Women’s Union, the Soc Trang Provincial Irrigation Sub-Department, the Cu Lao Dung District Women’s Union, the Cu Lao Dung District Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives from An Thanh Dong and An Thanh Nam communes, and representatives from the Cu Lao Dung Women Entrepreneurs Club. From the GS4Infra project, the project leader, team members, and expert advisors attended. Notably, the event was honored to have Dr. Bach Tan Sinh, a senior expert from the funding organization Sumernet.
At the program’s outset, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, the GS4Infra project leader, presented an update on the project’s activities and analyzed the results of data collection and local interviews. Through this, the project gained deeper insights into the geographical location and socio-economic context of Cu Lao Dung. The report emphasized the crucial role of irrigation and disaster risk reduction infrastructure, such as sea dykes, salinity intrusion prevention gates, bridges, and rural roads, in ensuring transportation, agricultural product conveyance, and crop protection. The project also acknowledged the active participation of stakeholders in contributing to the construction and management of these infrastructures, as well as their access to and benefits from them.
Following the program, under the moderation of Dr. Hoang Phi Long (Wageningen University, Netherlands), delegates shared valuable experiences to promote the participation of women and vulnerable groups in policy development and enhance their access to benefits from irrigation and disaster risk reduction infrastructure.
As the final activity, the GS4Infra project presented livelihood development funds to representatives of the Cu Lao Dung Women Entrepreneurs Club to implement two livelihood models in An Thanh Nam and An Thanh Dong communes, featuring two startup products: semi-dried nipa palm fruit and tea from mangrove apple flowers and leaves.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Dien and Ms. Nguyen Thanh Phuong, officers from the Soc Trang Provincial Women’s Union, expressed strong support for the project’s grant of two livelihood models to women entrepreneurs in An Thanh Nam and An Thanh Dong communes. They emphasized the immense potential of the mangrove apple tree, a plentiful resource with medicinal value and close ties to the lives of Cu Lao Dung residents. Similarly, the nipa palm not only provides economic value but also plays a crucial role in soil retention, erosion control, and landslide prevention. They proposed increasing technical training for female entrepreneurs and promoting local products in the future.
Ms. Nguyen Thi My Xuyen, Vice President in charge of communications for the Women Entrepreneurs Club, expressed her delight at receiving support and professional advice from the GS4Infra project. She shared her hope that through entrepreneurial activities, women’s roles would be increasingly recognized and valued.
The policy dialogue was successfully hosted, with lively discussions revolving around Water-Energy-Climate infrastructure, bridges, culverts, roads, and particularly the Dai Ngai-Cau Quan Bridge, which is scheduled to officially open to traffic on April 30, 2025. Provincial and local delegates expressed their anticipation that improved traffic flow would bring numerous benefits to local trade, economic development, and education. Simultaneously, delegates shared concerns about social order and security issues, as well as the potential for increased inequality within the community. Concluding the discussion, members expressed their hope that the policy dialogue would be a bright beginning in fostering collaboration between officials and local residents to jointly discuss and pursue equitable, just, and climate-resilient social development. They also aimed to develop suitable solutions for the climate infrastructure system, considered a public asset, with the goal of deeply integrating vulnerable groups in the design and operation of these infrastructures in the future. Furthermore, delegates supported climate-smart and sustainable livelihood models for vulnerable groups as a crucial foundation for the region in the face of uncertain natural factors.
