The bio-diversity conservation plan for the southern coastal provinces is expected to reduce impact of climate change to the region, according to experts.
Government experts and citizens of three Mekong coastal provinces examined the impact of climate change on their provinces at a forum organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) at the end of last month.
Tra Vinh, Ben Tre, and Soc Trang, situated at the mouth of the Mekong River, are rich in alluvium, mangrove, and other bio-diversity, and have enormous economic potential, making the impacts of climate change potentially more devastating.
The 65 participants at the "Climate change adaptation in the Mekong delta region" forum held in Tra Vinh discussed how to draft internationally-recognized proposals for bio-diversity conservation for the three provinces, examined new production methods as part of a conservation and protection plan, and considered the creation of one overarching climate-change management plan for the region.
"Under the impact of climate change, the wet season is arriving later than previous years and the water level is also lower. It directly affects the harvesting schedule of farmers in the region," Trine Glue Doan, governance&climate change advisor to the WWF Viet Nam Country Programme, said.
The bio-diversity conservation plan for the coastal provinces will benefit the whole region.
"The plan will connect the region to the bio-diversity conservation of Ca Mau, Can Gio, and Kien Giang to give the Mekong delta a much stronger defence against natural calamities such as storms and sea-level rise," WWF freshwater officer Hoang Viet added.
Tran Van Tu of the Can Tho Science and Technology Association added that officials and inhabitants should learn to adapt to climate change in each region.
"We have been destroying our bio-diversity through incorrect exploitation and production methods. If we can improve our management capacity, we can not only increase our GDP but also contribute to bio-diversity conservation," he said.
The three provinces are expected to receive further information for drafting suitable action plans against climate change.
The forum was organised with support from the Viet Nam-based environmental agency Man and the Biosphere, Can Tho University, and Can Tho City’s Science and Technology Association.