Author(s): Le Xuan Tuan; Phan Nguyen Hong; Nguyen Hai Dong
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: Mangroves; Mangrove Restoration; Environmental Protection
Abstract: Annually, the coastal zone of Viet Nam is under various adverse impacts of natural disasters such as storms, floods, high tide, and northeast monsoon. Local people in the Northern delta region have, for generations, known how to plant mangroves to protect dykes, rice fields, properties and people life. However, many localities witnessed conversion of mangroves into sedge fields, and then shrimp farming ponds for export as a result of economic difficulties during the post-war period. The consequence is a remarkable reduction in mangrove area. Under the financial support of some NGOs of developed countries and technical consultancy of mangrove ecosystem research center (MERC), since 1991about 14,000 ha of mangroves have been restored and newly planted in 8 Northern provinces of Viet Nam from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh. Thanks to the good protection and management work, these mangrove plantations have shown their effective role in local life improvement and sea-dyke protection from big storms; meanwhile, places without mangrove plantations have seen broken or seriously damaged solid concrete dykes. According to the World Disaster Report (2002), the rehabilitation of mangroves in coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh costs about 1.1 million USD, yet helps save 7.3 million USD/year for investment in dyke maintenance. Entering the 21st century, the government of Vietnam has taken measures for mangrove reforestation, conservation and management. Moreover, with the support of some NGOs, mangroves have been afforested with high effectiveness. Nevertheless, challenges are still many. Thus, urgent solutions should be worked out for protection of this valuable ecosystem, in which propagation and education on mangroves for local managers and communities are very important. The findings have contributed markedly to awareness rising among managers and communities about mangrove restoration and protection to response to calamities resulting from climate change and sea level rise
Year: 2014