Vietnam/ A drive to restore mangrove forests in south-central Vietnam
Mangrove forests are special and rare ecosystems that form in coastal zones and estuaries in areas affected by tides. Although they account for just over 1% of Vietnam's total forest area (14.4 million hectares), mangrove forests play an important role in mitigating the effects of climate change.
Central Vietnam in general, and the South-Central region in particular, are areas severely affected by climate change and the risk of natural disasters. In line with government guidelines, the provinces of South-Central Vietnam have made efforts to restore the mangrove forest belt, with initial positive results.
Regenerating mangrove forests
The South Central provinces, including Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yên and Khanh Hoà, boast over 800 km of coastline. Mangrove forests in this area are often found in small coastal lagoons.
Under economic pressure, in particular the "wave" of shrimp pond expansion, the development of infrastructure projects and the impact of natural disasters that have destroyed the mangrove forests, the mangrove forests of this area are often distributed over small coastal lagoons.impact of natural disasters that have destroyed most of the primary mangrove forests in the Centre-South, the system's forest ecology is in rapid decline.
The depletion of mangrove forests in the Centre-Sud is leading to increasingly severe seawater intrusion and the progressive loss of coastal aquatic resources in many localities.
In recent years, local communities and national and international organizations have joined forces to restore and plant new mangroves. Many degraded and uncultivated alluvial lands have been covered by hundreds of hectares of forest.
According to Hô Trong Phuong, Director of the Quang Ngai Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, over the period 2014-2021, Quang Ngai has implemented three new planting projects.uated three projects for new planting, zoning and regeneration of mangrove forests with a total investment cost of around 33 billion dôngs (over 1.3 million USD).
To date, 109.08 ha of mangrove forests have been restored in the communes of Binh Thuân, Binh Tri, Binh Dông, Binh Phuoc (Binh Son district) with tree speciesspecies such as white-flowered black mangrove(Lumnitzera racemosa), hoop mangrove(Rhizophora stylosa) and water palm(Nypa fruticans).
In Binh Dinh province (Centre), since 2003, local authorities have deployed numerous solutions to restore and develop its forests. In addition to planting forests in the Côn Chim ecological zone (Phuoc Son commune, Tuy Phuoc district), it has alsoIn addition to planting forests in the Côn Chim ecological zone (Phuoc Son commune, Tuy Phuoc district), the company has also planted mangroves in the mudflats along the Thi Nai and Dê Gi lagoons, bringing the area of newly planted forests to almost 90 hectares.
Truong Xuân Dua, head of the Agricultural Technology Applications Research Station under the Binh Dinh Provincial Agricultural Extension Center, said: "Restored mangroves help prevent erosion, landslides and restore ecology, preserve biodiversityand create jobs and income for the coastal population, contributing to socio-economic development and environmental protection".
With the determination to green the Ô Loan lagoon, Phu Yên launched in early 2024 a mangrove forest plantation project on the lagoon covering a total area of 50 hectares, with a budget of over 18 billion dôngs (over 715,000 USD). In particular, the locality has planted new mangrove forests in An Hoa Hai commune (42.8 ha), An Ninh Dông commune (5.7 ha) and An Hiêp commune (1.5 ha) with tree species such as mangrove apple(Sonneratia caseolaris), mangrove arch(Rhizophora stylosa), and water palm(Nypa fruticans).
The deputy director of Phu Yên province's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lê Van Be, declared that the 50 ha of mangrove forests will provide a new source of income.will provide a habitat for aquatic species, helping to restore biodiversity and preserve precious and rare aquatic species in the Ô Loan lagoon. In this way, the lagoon's population can enjoy numerous benefits linked to aquaculture and fishing.
Building distinctive tourism products
Quang Ngai province is developing experimental ecotourism in the mangrove forest of Bàu Ca Cai (Binh Thuân commune), the water palm forest of Bàu Ca Cai (Binh Thuân commune) and the water palm forest of Bàu Ca Cai (Binh Thuân commune).t forest (Binh Phuoc commune, Binh Son district) and the Tinh Khê water palm forest (Tinh Khê commune, Quang Ngai city).
In particular, the Bàu Ca Cai forest boasts an endemic ecosystem with native species of black mangrove with white flowers. In spring, black mangroves with white flowers weave a long green carpet, while in the transition from summer to autumn, the leafless trees create a snow-white landscape, attracting many tourists.
According to Dinh Tiên Dung, Director of Quang Ngai Province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in addition to maritime and island tourism, the province plans to make community-based rural tourism a flagship product in the coming years.
He added that currently, every year, tens of thousands of tourists come to visit the mangrove forest of Bàu Ca Cai, the water palm forests of Cà Ninh and Tinh Khê. "In the times to come, Quang Ngai will strive to develop the mangrove ecosystems of Bàu Ca Cai, Cà Ninh and Tinh Khê into tourist destinations or OCOP tourist destinations (À each commune its own product), helping to guarantee the quality of tourism services, increase their value and create sustainable livelihoods for the local population," he says.
The Thi Nai lagoon, in the central province of Binh Dinh, extends over 5,000 ha, including more than 1,000 ha of mangroves. In the middle of the lagoon emerge three polders Côn Chim, Côn Trang, Côn Gia which form the 480-hectare Côn Chim ecological zone, nicknamed Binh Dinh's "green oasis". Experts consider the Thi Nai lagoon, including Côn Chim, to be an ecological treasure destined to become the locality's "green lung".
In Khanh Hoa, the mangrove forest on Hoa Lan Island (Ninh Phu commune, Ninh Hoa municipal city) is exploited for ecotourism purposes, creating many values for the community. It is a valuable ancient primitive forest community with a diverse ecosystem and many rare species of flora and fauna, such as the hooped palaeatuvier,Avicennia, Bruguiera, Sonneratia caseolaris as well as bird, fish, shrimp and crab species.
Starting in 2022, the mangrove forest on Hoa Lan Island has been put into operation with attractive experiential tourism activities under the forest canopy such as kayaking, hiking, fishing and immersion in local life. These experiences help visitors not only to relax, but also to better understand the unique ecosystem of the mangrove forests.
Source: lecourrier.vn/
