HEINEKEN Vietnam invests VND 30 billion, teaming up with WWF-Vietnam on water conservation program in Red, Dong Nai and Tien River basins

Dong Nai, 19 August 19, 2022 - Today, HEINEKEN Vietnam, WWF-Vietnam, Vietnam Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and local partners launch a partnership program for water conservation in the basins of Red, Dong Nai and Tien River. The program is set to strengthen water resources management in these critical areas.

The partnership program for “Water conservation in Xuan Son National Park, Phu Tho province, Dong Nai Culture and Nature Reserve in Dong Nai province and Dong Thap Muoi Ecological Reserve in Tien Giang province” will be conducted over 4 years, with a funding of 30 billion VND from HEINEKEN Vietnam. According to the plan, the ecosystems in these river basins will be restored, and forests replanted with the aim to maintain and improve their ability to regulate and supply water to local communities and support agricultural activities downstream.

The program is part of HEINEKEN Vietnam's efforts to protect watersheds, and an important step toward HEINEKEN Vietnam's ambition of 100% water balance by 2025 – whereby the company seeks to return to the environment the amount of water that goes into its beers. The program aims to restore the integrity of the ecosystem and the biodiversity in the basin of these rivers, which is also high on WWF-Vietnam’s agenda.

The basins of Red, Dong Nai and Tien River has a high biodiversity and economic value to the local communities. However, the overexploitation of water, forest and land; the ineffective management of waste sources; coupled with the impact of climate change have reduced the amount and the quality of water in these regions.

“Protecting water is one of the top priorities in HEINEKEN Vietnam's sustainability strategy, especially when beers are 95% water,” said Ms. Holly Bostock, Corporate Affairs Director, HEINEKEN Vietnam. “In our production, we are constantly increasing our water efficiency and improving water circularity, however beyond this we also have the ambition to fully balance the water that goes in our products. The partnership program with WWF-Vietnam will improve water quality and restore water management mechanisms in 3 critical river basins which feed into where 3 of our breweries are, in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Tien Giang. This program with its positive and comprehensive impacts on the environment and community will be a crucial part of our ‘Brewing A Better Vietnam’ sustainability strategy.” 

 “The program is designed with a comprehensive approach to address water security issues with nature-based & community-based solutions,” said Mr. Hoang Viet, Freshwater Lead at WWF-Vietnam, “With a strong commitment and close cooperation of the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Water Resources, the General Department of Irrigation and the Department of Special-Use Forests Management, the Department of Forestry under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and local partners, as well as the funding from HEINEKEN Vietnam, WWF-Vietnam believes that the ecosystem in these critical water basins of Vietnam will be protected and developed in a sustainable way, improve water supply in the area, and address shortage in the lower rivers, especially in the dry season.” 

By 2025, the program aims to have (i) the freshwater ecosystem in Xuan Son National Park, Dong Nai Nature Reserve - Cultural Heritage, and Dong Thap Muoi Ecosystem Reserve restored and protected; and (ii) local communities to form new habits and contribute to the goal of replenishing a total of 3 billion liters of water every year, of which:

• Approximately 2 billion liters of water is expected be increased through the nurturing and enriching of 1,100 hectares of natural forest in all three river basins. 
• 200 million liters of water will potentially be increased through the planting of 32.3 hectares of large timber forests and native trees. 
• Nearly 800 million liters of water is planned to be replenished specifically in Dong Thap Muoi Ecosystam Reserve through water management programs in wetlands. 
• Additionally, communities living in the core and buffer zones of Xuan Son National Park, and Dong Nai Nature & Cultural Reserve will receive training to adjust their living and farming habits to help reduce negative impact on water resources.

The partnership program between WWF-Vietnam, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and HEINEKEN Vietnam, if implemented successfully, can become a model for Public - Private cooperation for forested watersheds protection, and water resources conservation; and a showcase of collaboration to reverse biodiversity loss in Vietnam. 

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About HEINEKEN Vietnam 

HEINEKEN Vietnam is a successful joint venture between HEINEKEKEN and SATRA (Saigon Trading Group). The company has a proud history of over 30 years - growing from the first brewery in Ho Chi Minh City in 1991 to 6 nationwide with over 3,000 employees today. 

We take Vietnamese people on our growth journey in the country. We are currently creating 152,000 jobs across the value chain, contributing an equivalence of 0.7% of Vietnam’s total GDP to the local economy and are among the country’s top taxpayers. 

As a relentlessly innovative company, we combine international expertise with the local know-how and talent; and have been delighting Vietnamese consumers with a wide product portfolio for a variety of local tastes and drinking occasions, including Heineken®, Tiger, Larue, BIVINA, Bia Viet, Strongbow and Edelweiss. Many of our beers are innovations made exclusively for Vietnam and by Vietnamese brew masters. 

Sustainability and responsibility are the way we do business at HEINEKEN Vietnam. From day one, we have been committed to “Brewing a Better Vietnam”, and for 6 consecutive years 2016 – 2021, we have been recognized by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) as one of the top 3 most sustainable companies in the manufacturing sector. Currently 52% of the energy powering our breweries is renewable and 100% of our waste and by products are reused and/or recycled. We are also passionate about advocating responsible consumption and addressing drink driving in Vietnam, and in 2020 introduced Heineken® 0.0 to support the Government’s efforts in this area. 

To know more about us, please visithttp://heineken-vietnam.com.vn/