Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà (fourth from left) presents the Prime Minister’s decisions appointing the new Chairman and Vice Chairmen of the People’s Committee of Quảng Trị Province at the official ceremony held in Đồng Hới on 30 June 2026. From left to right: Lê Đức Tiến, Phan Phong Phú, Hoàng Nam, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà, Trần Phong(Chairman), and Hoàng Xuân Tân. Photo: Hoàng Táo / Tuổi Trẻ
As Vietnam undergoes major administrative restructuring, Project RENEW and our partners remain guided by our mission: to make Quảng Trị Province safe from the impact of unexploded ordnance, creating an environment in which communities can live with confidence that they are safe, and vulnerable groups receive the support they need.
Governance Reform Begins 1 July 2025
Quảng Trị, Vietnam — Beginning 1 July 2025, Vietnam will implement a sweeping national governance reform, streamlining local government into a two-tier system consisting of provincial and communal levels only. As part of this reform, district-level governments will be dissolved nationwide.
To formalize this transition, the Official Ceremony on the Announcement of Resolutions and Reorganization of Local Governments was held simultaneously in 34 newly merged provinces and centrally administered cities on 30 June 2026. In Đồng Hới, Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà presided over the event that officially confirmed the merger of Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình provinces. The newly formed province retains the name Quảng Trị, with Đồng Hới designated as its capital.
Merger of Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình
The newly merged Quảng Trị Province now spans 12,700 km² and has a population of approximately 1.87 million people.
Administrative map of the newly merged Quảng Trị Province, now encompassing former Quảng Bình territory. Source: Vietnam Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE).
On this occasion, the Prime Minister appointed Mr. Hoàng Nam—co-founder of Project RENEW in 2001 and former Acting Chairman of Quảng Trị Province—as Deputy Chairman of the new Quảng Trị.
Recent years have seen expanded collaboration with local and international partners under an integrated model both in Quảng Trị and Quảng Bình provinces, laying a strong foundation for coordinated programming across the newly merged province.
The shift in administrative center from Đông Hà to Đồng Hới, along with broader changes to provincial governance, may result in evolving coordination mechanisms between authorities and implementing partners.
Merger of Quảng Ngãi and Kon Tum
Separately, Quảng Ngãi Province, where Project RENEW recently launched victim assistance and risk education programs thanks to support from Irish Embassy in Vietnam and Friends of Project RENEW, has merged with Kon Tum Province to form a new, expanded Quảng Ngãi Province.
The newly formed province includes vast, remote, and mountainous areas inhabited by seven ethnic minority groups: H’re, Bahnar, Brau, Giẻ Triêng, Jarai, Rơ Măm, and Xơ Đăng. These communities continue to face risks from post-war explosive contamination, making humanitarian mine action and victim assistance both timely and essential.
Looking Ahead
We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to monitor developments and assess any operational implications arising from these structural changes. Our aim is to maintain program continuity and ensure effective coordination within the evolving administrative landscape.
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