On March 4, 2026, CARE in Vietnam, in collaboration with the Community Development Center (CDC), has officially launched the project MekongElevate “Ethnic Communities Leading Inclusive Climate Action” in Dak Lak.
Implemented from now until March 2029 in Ea Drong and Tam Giang communes, Dak Lak province, the project will provide upland communities – specifically ethnic minority women, youth, and people with disability – with solutions to enhance climate resilience, thereby contributing to the overall stability and prosperity of the Mekong subregion.
MekongElevate is funded by the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership (MAP) and is implemented by CARE and local partners.
“Our Mekong-Australia Partnership supports local responses to shared regional challenges. Australia is proud to partner with Vietnam to support a more inclusive and resilient Mekong subregion. The MekongElevate project addresses our shared priorities of climate resilience, gender equality, and inclusion. It will invest in people – particularly women, people with disability, and marginalised groups – providing them with skills and opportunities to lead and shape their own paths in the green transition,” said Australia’s Ambassador to Vietnam, H.E. Gillian Bird.
Throughout the implementation period, the project will focus on supporting ethnic minorities, women, youth, and people with disability within the coffee industry. Key activities include increasing the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and other innovations to strengthen climate-resilient livelihoods.
Furthermore, the second pillar of the project will focus on boosting access to safety nets and recovery mechanisms. These efforts aim to help ethnic minority communities recover from unavoidable loss and damage caused by natural disasters or extreme weather events. The project also prioritises activities that promote the participation and leadership of youth, people with disability, and ethnic minority women in climate-related decision-making processes.
“The coffee industry is an economic pillar, yet it is one of the sectors hardest hit by climate change. As a local implementation partner, we are dedicated to bringing technical solutions and support mechanisms directly to the people, helping ethnic minority communities not only ‘survive’ but ‘thrive’ on their own land,” said Mr. Bach Thanh Tuan, Director of CDC.
“At CARE, we believe that lasting solutions to the climate crisis depend on who can participate in them. Too often, women, youth, and people with disabilities face barriers that limit their access to economic opportunities and disaster preparedness. Through MekongElevate, we work alongside communities to help reduce these barriers, strengthen practical skills, and improve access to resources, so the green transition is more inclusive and no one is left behind,” shared Ms. Le Kim Dung, Country Director of CARE in Vietnam, during the event.
Representing the group of women and farmers participating in the project, Ms. H Yui Nie shared:
“We hope the solutions introduced by the project will directly support smallholder farmers like us in practicing sustainable agriculture. This ensures our products meet the standards of manufacturers and buyers. Sustainable, climate-adaptive production does not just bring immediate results; it leaves a legacy for future generations.”
Please refer to the full press release here.