The project will provide support to people dependent on the lagoon in Thua Thien Hue (Viet Nam). Its aim is to improve their livelihoods by promoting a participatory sustainable management of the hydro-biological resources in the lagoons, in accordance with the socio-economic and production system requirements of the population and with particular emphasis on the gender roles, the achievement of food security, and the alleviation of poverty.

The purposes of the project are the following:

1) To understand the present issues in the lagoon, with respect to the hydro-biological resources status and use, human activities, current institutional responsibilities and management practices;

2) To identify, based on the sustainable use of natural resources within the lagoon, priority issues in an effort to support the existing, and develop new management policies, in order to improve people's livelihoods and reduce risks for the poor who are dependent on the lagoon resources. These policies should be developed in a participatory way resulting in a draft Integrated Lagoon Management Plan which will provide, in a gender-sensitive way, special attention to poverty alleviation amongst landless and lagoon communities;

3) To prepare for the implementation of the Management Plan, including preparation of the official enactment of the plan, implementating strategy at all levels, capacity building, as well as identification of credit, savings, insurance and organizational needs and investment requirements;

4) To strengthen the provincial institutional capacity in such a way that the Management Plan, once approved, will be implemented actively according to the strategies formulated and that the provincial institutions are able to formulate and implement policies related to the management of the lagoon system that are environmentally and socially sustainable; and

5) To disseminate the findings and results of the project on a national and international basis, so that others may use this example in their formulation of Management Plans.