South Korean energy company SK Innovation has signed a new agreement to expand its mangrove restoration programme to Can Tho City in Vietnam, with a target of creating 200 hectares of new mangrove forest by 2030. The memorandum of understanding, signed with the Can Tho City government and the local social enterprise MangLub, was announced on October 13, 2026, according to a report by Aju Press.
The expansion brings one of the company’s longest-running environmental projects to a new part of the Mekong Delta, a region where coastal mangroves play a vital role in protecting communities from storms and flooding.
What the agreement covers
Under the agreement, SK Innovation will secure planting sites for mangroves in Can Tho and set up a joint system with the local community to manage and protect the reforestation areas over time. The planned 200 hectares is four times the size of Seoul Forest, the 50-hectare urban park in Seoul that the company uses as a benchmark for its restoration footprint.
Local people at the centre
Local residents will take part directly in every phase of the project, from planting the first seedlings to long-term protection of the restored areas. The company says the work will create jobs and bring environmental education to residents and students, raising awareness of the value of mangroves for coastal livelihoods.
Kim Woo-kyung, head of SK Innovation’s PR team, said the company aims “to contribute to the sustainable growth of the local community by promoting not just reforestation activities but also youth employment through local social enterprises and environmental awareness education.”
Mangrove restoration measured by science
The company says the ecological impact of the Can Tho project will be measured scientifically using its life cycle assessment (LCA) capabilities, including an analysis of the biodiversity footprint of the planting areas, so that the restoration outcomes can be tracked and managed systematically.
A programme running since 2018
SK Innovation began its mangrove restoration work in Vietnam in 2018, following an agreement with the government of Tra Vinh Province (referred to as Binh Long Province in the company’s announcement), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and local businesses. The programme has since expanded to Myanmar, Malaysia and Fiji, with employees of SK Innovation’s affiliates also joining planting activities.
According to the announcement, the company has planted a total of 1.14 million saplings across 294 hectares since 2018 — roughly six times the size of Seoul Forest. The Korea Economic Daily’s KED Global had reported in 2025 that about 910,000 mangroves had been planted across 236 hectares in Vietnam, Malaysia and Myanmar since 2018, and that MangLub — established in 2019 as the first social enterprise in Tra Vinh focused on mangrove conservation — is the company’s joint venture with the Korean social cooperative Dream Sharing.
Why mangroves matter for the climate
Mangroves are among the most powerful nature-based climate solutions. Conservation reports estimate that mangrove forests can store up to five times more carbon per unit area than tropical rainforests. Often called the “lungs of Asia,” they shield coastlines from storms and floods, support fisheries and provide habitat for wildlife.
The need is urgent in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta: according to WWF’s factsheet on Vietnam’s mangroves, the mangrove area in the delta has shrunk by more than two and a half times in under 25 years, mainly because of deforestation.
Read also: Ireland’s €1.5M drive to restore 50 hectares of mangroves in south-east Liberia — another mangrove restoration project backed by international partners.
FAKTA
- What: SK Innovation signed an MOU with the Can Tho City government and MangLub to restore mangrove forests in Can Tho, Vietnam
- Target: 200 hectares of new mangrove forest in Vietnam by 2030 — four times the size of Seoul Forest
- Community role: Local residents involved directly in planting, management and protection; jobs and environmental education for residents and students
- Track record: 1.14 million saplings planted across 294 hectares since 2018; programme also active in Myanmar, Malaysia and Fiji
- Climate value: Mangroves store up to five times more carbon per unit area than tropical rainforests, according to conservation reports
- Sources: SK Innovation announcement via Aju Press, October 14, 2026; Korea Economic Daily (KED Global), 2025; WWF Vietnam mangrove factsheet
