On April 22, 2026, in Hoi An Ward, Da Nang City, the University of Danang -  University of Science and Education (UD-UED) officially launched the project titled “Women Leading Green Livelihoods from Water Lilies”, associated with ecological conservation in the buffer zone of the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve.

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Vice Rector of the University, the project is led by a research group comprising scientists, experts, and lecturers from UD-UED, in collaboration with management agencies, social organizations, and local community authorities.

The project receives over VND 1.65 billion in non-refundable funding from Stichting Oxfam Novib and will be implemented over 18 months in Phuoc Trung hamlet, Hoi An Ward.

The Project Management Board is headed by Dr. Nguyen Thu Trang, Head of the Cultural Studies Program, Faculty of Literature and Communication, UD-UED. The project team works in partnership with the Management Board of the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve, the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Hoi An Ward, and the Kim Bong Ecological Agriculture and Community Tourism Cooperative.

According to the project management team, the initiative was developed after nearly one year of field surveys, community engagement, and proposal preparation. The project successfully surpassed 122 initiatives to become one of 22 initiatives selected for funding by Oxfam Novib for implementation this year.

The project aims to transform local livelihoods by developing a circular economy value chain from water lilies, a native plant species with high potential value. It also seeks to empower women as active leaders in green economic development, integrating water lily cultivation and processing with environmental protection and landscape conservation, while promoting community-based tourism initiatives.

Additionally, the project focuses on restoring and cultivating water lilies in wetland areas, establishing local nursery facilities, and developing dried water lily products with the goal of inclusion in Da Nang City's OCOP (One Commune One Product) evaluation system. These products are expected to connect with local tourism routes and accommodation services.

University leaders affirmed their commitment to continuously support and accompany the project throughout its implementation, mobilizing intellectual resources, experts, and students to participate. The initiative is expected not only to achieve practical outcomes but also to spread the values of green economic development, serving as a sustainable model of green livelihoods for the Cu Lao Cham - Hoi An region.

UD Media