Commemorative medal awarded to Senior Portfolio Manager at KfW Vietnam

A commemorative medal awarding ceremony was held on the afternoon of May 24 at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. During the event, Deputy Minister Hoang Trung, on behalf of Minister Le Minh Hoan, awarded the "For the Cause of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam" medal to Uwe Josef Ludwig Klug, Senior Portfolio Manager at KfW Vietnam, for his contributions to Vietnam's agriculture and rural development sector. 

Uwe Josef Ludwig Klug (Uwe Klug), a German national born on November 3, 1962, served as the Senior Portfolio Manager in the field of natural resource management and climate resilience at the KfW Development Bank - Vietnam from February 2021 to May 2024.

During his tenure, Mr. Klug made significant contributions in the management and development of a strategic vision for cooperative programs and projects between KfW and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Additionally, he actively promoted German support for projects in forestry, sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience in Vietnam.

Some of his notable contributions include:

He supported the management and completion of the project "Protection and Integrated Management of Forest Ecosystems in the Provinces of Quang Nam, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai", which was funded by the German government with a total of 10 million EUR in non-refundable ODA grants. This project was  implemented from 2014 to 2021. This project helped sustainably protect and manage 23,500 hectares of natural production forests across the three provinces, contributing to the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity. In addition, the project provided stable income for 35 communes and 72 village communities by diversifying forest products and developing rural infrastructure.

He supported the management and completion of the project "Sustainable Forest Management and Biodiversity to Reduce CO2 Emissions", which was funded by the German government with a total of 5.5 million EUR in non-refundable ODA grants and 15 million EUR in ODA loans. This project was implemented in the provinces of Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Bac Kan, and Ha Giang from 2014 to 2022. The project aimed to enhance biodiversity in forest ecosystems and the integrity of landscape ecosystems in the northern mountainous region of Vietnam. It also contributed to enhancing the region's climate resilience, and supported the livelihoods of the local community.

He supported the management of the project "Carbon and Biodiversity II (CarBi II)", which was implemented in collaboration with WWF and the Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development of Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam, and Bach Ma National Park. The project, spanning from from 2019 to 2024, received 7 million EUR in non-refundable aid from the German government. The project prioritized the conservation of the Central Truong Son Range landscape, home to 134 mammal species and over 500 bird species. Moreover, the project provided essential socio-economic ecosystem services to the local communities.

He supported the management of the project "Small grants programme by the ASEAN centre for Biodiversity," in collaboration with the National Biodiversity Conservation Agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam. The project was implemented at various Asian Heritage Parks, including: Ba Be National Park, Hoang Lien Son National Park, Chu Mom Ray National Park, and Kon Ka Kinh National Park. The project, spanning from 2020 to 2024, was funded with 6.39 million EUR from the German government. Accordingly, it provided small grants within the Asian Heritage Parks (AHPs) to enhance biodiversity protection in the selected AHPs and surrounding areas in Vietnam; improve the livelihoods of local communities that are directly dependent on the selected AHPs or surrounding areas; and strengthen the capacity and coordination of biodiversity conservation activities within Vietnam's Asian Heritage Parks system.

He facilitated the promotion, development, and signing of a grant commitment with the EU for the project "Conservation and Management of Coastal Wetland Ecosystems in the Red River Delta." The project, planned for implementation in Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces, will receive a total of 10 million EUR in grants from the European Commission and 10 million EUR in loans from KfW.

The project aims to allocate investments towards the conservation and management of coastal wetland ecosystems in the Red River Delta, with a focus on comprehensive coastal management, coastal disaster risk management, and enhancing community resilience to climate change and livelihood systems. The project also offers consultancy and management services.

He supported the construction, implementation, technical assessment, and appraisal processes to acquire a grant commitment during the intergovernmental negotiations between Vietnam and Germany in 2021. The grant, totaling 9 million EUR, will be used to support the project "Combatting illegal wildlife trade in Vietnam to prevent disease transmission from animals." The project is currently undergoing approval procedures for project documents, before proceeding to the signing of grant agreement and individual implementation agreements.

He supported the technical construction and appraisal processes to acquire a grant commitment during the intergovernmental negotiations between Vietnam and Germany in 2023. The grant, totaling 13 million EUR in non-refundable ODA, will be used to support the project "Conservation and Management of Forest Ecosystems with Community Participation in the Central Highlands provinces." The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was assiged as the project manager.

Additionally, he facilitated the implementation of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Viet Nam on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance, and Trade, with a total grant commitment of 15 million EUR in non-refundable ODA from the German government.