Environment
Involving communities in mangrove forest management
  • | VOV | September 13, 2013 08:46 AM
Vietnam must accept climate change as the biggest challenge facing the country and mankind as a whole.

Ho Thi Yen Thu, a representative of the network of Vietnamese non-governmental organisation and climate change, released the warning at a September 12 seminar on mangrove forest management.

Thu emphasised coping with climate change will require united efforts from both the State and local communities.

Vietnam’s more than 3,260km of coastline renders it especially vulnerable to climate change. Mangrove forests play an important role in the ability of coastal areas to manage climate change’s impact, serving as the nursery for a variety of marine life, a source for fuel, material, and a lucrative tourist attraction.


However, Vietnam’s mangrove forest acreage has been downsized to around 155,000 hectares, 60% less than 70 years ago.

Environmental NGOs have actively and successfully campaigned for mangrove forest management models in localities including Giao Thuy in Nam Dinh, Cat Ba in Haiphong, Can Gio in Ho Chi Minh City, and Hau Loc in Thanh Hoa.

The Hanoi seminar’s participants discussed mangrove forest protection and management policies and the achievements of models already applied.

They recounted their experiences of raising the level of community involvement in mangrove forest management at grassroots levels.

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