Young people grow mangrove forests to protect the environment.

Over the past few years, youth unions at all levels have greatly contributed to the management of natural resources. Young people, with their youth, enthusiasm, and creativity, are the key force in environmental protection and response to climate change.

They cleaned up litter and planted mangrove trees to protect land from rising sea levels. The youth union of each locality has developed specific action plans to get young people to participate in environmental protection programs.

Tran Thi Hong Chuyen, Deputy Secretary of Phu Tho province’s youth union, said: “All youth unions in our province have pledged to manage the roads they build – clean up village lanes, collect rubbish, and plant trees. We are building basins to contain pesticides left in paddy fields.”

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region is hardest hit by climate change, and young people in Kien Giang province have responsibly developed programs to help local residents adapt, according to Le Trung Ho, Secretary of Kien Giang province’s Youth Union.

“Climate change has seriously affected the life and production of Kien Giang people. We are focusing on production models, crops and domestic animals most adaptable to climate change. We have established a fund to help youth union members learn useful techniques so they can in turn teach local people how to improve production,” Tho said.

Bui Van Thang, Secretary of the Youth Union of Kim Boi district, Hoa Binh province, told VOV: “We have many programs to increase communications on environmental protection. We are planting trees and will implement a project to improve depleted soil towards increasing tree coverage for environmental protection.”

In the next 5 years, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee will coordinate to boost communications to improve public awareness about environmental protection.