German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) is joining forces with local partners to carry out a project aimed at ensuring the sustainability of coastal forests which are under threat.
The Mekong Delta is extremely vulnerable to climate change, which may lead to rising sea levels, saltwater intrusion, drought, floods and forest fires. Therefore, it is vital to ensure the sustainable development of forests to cope with current and future changes. To that end, GTZ has joined forces with Kien Giang since 2008 to work on a project aimed at conserving mangrove forests in U Minh Thuong National Park, Phu Quoc National Park and the coastal area of Kien Luong-Hon Chong.
GTZ experts say that these areas are endowed with biodiversity and unique scenery. However, these special attributes are being eroded by the unsustainable exploitation of the forests.
U Minh Thuong National Park, which covers 148,758ha, is one of the very few remaining marshlands in the Mekong Delta. However, what the future holds for this national park remains unclear, especially as studies indicate that its biodiversity is rapidly waning due to the overexploitation of natural resources and efforts to keep water levels in Kien Giang high to fight forest fires.
According to Le Tan Phong, a technical staff member for the project, Phu Quoc National Park, a vast cajuput forest which covers 1,125ha, accounts for approximately 45% of Phu Quoc Island and is among Southeast Asia’s biggest biosphere reserves. Phu Quoc’s coastline is sheltered by protective forests. Unfortunately, cattle rearing and the proliferation of residential areas inside this national park have spelled trouble for its sea grasslands, coral reefs and biodiversity. Phong adds that cajuput trees account for merely 200ha of the forest due to excessive exploitation of the wood by locals.
The mangrove forests surrounding Kien Luong-Hon Chong coastal area have also encountered the same problem. Many of them have been severely diminished to clear the way for paddy fields and fisheries.
Mangrove forests play a vital role in protecting Kien Giang’s farmland and the 208km coastline. In recent years, the area covered by mangrove forests has shrunk rapidly and, if appropriate remedies are not adopted, Kien Giang’s protective forests may easily disappear. The seawater is muddy and offers fertile ground for marine life.
Consequently, locals tend to eke out a living by catching fish and shrimp, depleting the marine resources. The way local residents exploit other resources also adversely affects the forests. The people in Kien Giang often dig ponds in the forests and fell trees to make way for fisheries.
Without protective forests, saltwater intrusion will become rampant, leading to soil and dike erosion. Sharon Brown, chief consultant for the GTZ project in Kien Giang, says that in Hon Dat, the main goals are planting mangrove forests, protecting sea dikes and growing tree nurseries.
In early November, the Kien Giang Province People’s Committee and GTZ launched a campaign which seeks to plant over 50,000 mangrove trees. These trees will help shelter the locality from the adverse impacts of waves and saltwater intrusion.
Brown says that the project uses advanced technology to plant trees that are suitable for land where saltwater has intruded and are capable of retaining nutrition. The project is also growing, on a pilot basis, a one-hectare nursery.
Among the seven types of trees chosen, bn (Sonneratiaceae) and nipa palm will play key roles in reducing the detrimental effects of waves thanks to their strong roots. Tong Van Anh’s family is taking care of the nursery, which may be applied on a larger scale to redevelop protective forests in Hon Dat.