ISCM Participates in Vietnam Carbon Market Workshop 2026: When Mangrove Conservation Opens New Prospects for Blue Carbon
On April 7, 2026, the Institute of Smart City and Management (ISCM), University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH), participated in the Vietnam Carbon Market Workshop 2026 in Hanoi. The workshop served as a forum on Vietnam’s carbon market, bringing together key stakeholders across the carbon market ecosystem, including project developers, investors, development organizations, climate-tech enterprises, and actors in climate finance.
As part of the program, Assoc. Prof. Trinh Tu Anh, Director of ISCM, delivered a presentation titled “Women-Led Mangrove Conservation in Cu Lao Dung Island and the Prospects for Blue Carbon.” The presentation introduced a practical approach from the Women4Mangrove project, highlighting the role of community-based conservation, mangrove ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihood development in the context of Vietnam’s emerging carbon market.
Women4Mangrove is a UEH-led project implemented in the Mekong Delta with funding from the United Nations through UNOPS/SEA Grants. The project aims to strengthen mangrove conservation while supporting local livelihoods, particularly by enhancing the role of women in natural resource management, developing educational agro-tourism, and promoting mangrove planting and care activities in Cu Lao Dung.
Assoc. Prof. Trinh Tu Anh emphasized that mangrove conservation can only be sustainable when local communities are not merely beneficiaries, but active participants, managers, and co-creators of value. Through Women4Mangrove, mangrove forests are approached as a space that connects the environment, livelihoods, education, and community. Activities such as mangrove planting, field-based learning experiences, local product development, and educational agro-tourism help transform conservation into a development model with strong potential for wider impact.
A key focus of the presentation was the prospect of developing blue carbon from mangrove ecosystems. Beyond their value in coastal protection, biodiversity conservation, and climate adaptation, mangrove forests have significant carbon storage potential, opening opportunities to connect conservation initiatives with future climate finance mechanisms. However, to realize this potential, projects need to establish reliable data foundations, impact measurement mechanisms, community capacity, and equitable benefit-sharing models.
Through Women4Mangrove, ISCM also highlighted the role of education and research institutions in connecting academic knowledge with local needs. The project not only contributes to mangrove conservation in the Mekong Delta, but also suggests an interdisciplinary approach linking environment, livelihoods, education, policy, and market development.
ISCM’s participation in the Vietnam Carbon Market Workshop 2026 provided an opportunity for the Institute to engage with partners in the fields of carbon markets and sustainable development. It was also a platform for ISCM to introduce practical models that UEH is implementing with local communities, contributing to green transition initiatives that are grounded in place, people, and natural ecosystems.