Kien Giang province is planning to organize the Announcement Ceremony of Kien Giang - the Worlds Biosphere Reserve combined with the 2010 Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation Forum. This is a very important event through which Kien Giang appeals for the entire community’s assistance in preserving and upholding the reserves potential.
Located on more than 1.1 million ha, the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve is the largest in comparison with Vietnams five other biosphere reserves recognized in March, 2007 by UNESCO.
As the largest biosphere reserve in South East Asia, the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve is consisted of sea and island boundary: Phu Quoc Island and Kien Hai Island; mainland boundary: Hon Dat, Kien Luong district, Phu My lepironia (bang) grass, Ha Tien Town, Dong Ho Swamp, To Chau Mountain, Rach Gia City, An Tien, An Minh and Vinh Thuan districts. The area contains both coastal and marine ecosystems with islands, swamps, malaleuca forest on limestone, mangrove forests, sea grass, coral reefs and tropical primeval forests This area harbors a diversity of fauna with many valuable and rare species such as vooc bac (trachypithelus germaini), rai ca (amblonyx cinera) and seu dau do (grus antigone).
The Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve was established according to the UNESCO initiative with respect to sustainable development in 21st century including a core zone, a buffer zone and a transition zone. The core zone consists of the Phu Quoc National Park, the U Minh Thuong National Park and the Kien Luong-Kien Hai coastal preventive forest. The core zone is little influenced by human except for study and supervision activities. Next to the core zone is the buffer zone where economic, educational and entertainment activities can be taken without any harm to the conservation. The transition zone surrounds the buffer zone with normally daily activities. The local authorities, people, scientists, businesses and social organizations are responsible for sustainable development of the reserve.
The Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve plays a very important role in conserving the ecosystem with the most typical of mangrove forest in the U Minh Thuong region and the Mekong Delta. Especially, with a number of long and beautiful beaches such as Gieng Ngu, Bai Khem, Bai Vong, Bai Thom, Bai Vung Bau, Bai Cua Can, and Bai Dai, the Phu Quoc National Park has a potential for development of ecotourism.
The Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve has huge values of gene conservation. In the U Minh Thuong National Park there are 250 vegetation species many of which have been listed in the Vietnamese and World Red Books. According to scientists, peat swamp forests and malaleuca forests are the most primitive in Vietnam. Therefore the U Minh Thuong National Park has a huge study and conservation value.
For years, Vietnamese and international scientists have made enormous efforts to study the natural world and society of U Minh Thuong in order for the forest to be recognized the world biosphere reserve. Within the framework of the 2010 Mekong Delta Economic Cooperation Forum, the Kien Giang Peoples Committee plans to hold the Announcement Ceremony of the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve with the purpose of calling upon local and international organizations and individuals to help Kien Giang province to conserve and promote the reserve.
Vietnam has five biosphere reserves including Can Gio (in Ho Chi Minh City), Cat Tien (in Dong Nai, Binh Phuoc, Lam Dong and Dac Nong provinces), Cat Ba (in Hai Phong province), Red River Delta (in Thai Binh, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh provinces) and Kien Giang (in Kien Giang province).