WWF helps restore Mekong Delta habitats
Update: 20/11/2008
A collaborative project between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and soft drink maker Coca Cola has restored almost 2,000 ha of grasslands in the Mekong Delta, boosting fresh water conservation efforts, the company says.
In a press release issued on November 15, 2008 it said the collaboration has also succeeded in restoring a bird sanctuary in the delta, with the number of Sarus cranes visiting the Tram Chim National Park increasing from 41 in 2005 to 126; and limited the expansion of Mimosa pigra, an invasive species.
The recovery of the natural environment in Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap province’s Tam Nong district serves as a key factor to improve water quality, restore underground water and regulate floods and drought, helping the company to mitigate their negative impacts over the wider plain as well as downstream areas of the delta.
The park stores freshwater during the flood season and releases it slowly as floodwaters recede, preventing saline intrusion in downstream areas and diminishing negative effects of climate change, said the press release.
With the project’s support, the Tram Chim National Park has secured USD 200,000 from the provincial government for infrastructure development, including building spillways to improve the water flow regime.
A management statute for Tram Chim National Park, which was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and is pending final ratification by the Dong Thap People’s Committee, has been developed.
The statute governs all aspects of park administration and operation. It spotlights the fact that water resources should be managed in accordance with the particular eco-system, and that local residents should be given favourable conditions to participate in sustainable using and managing the park’s natural resources.
The project has enhanced the park’s high biodiversity value which supports 130 native plant species, 232 species of birds, of which 16 are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and Vietnam Red Data Book; and approximately 150 types of freshwater fish, making up 33 percent of the total freshwater fish species found in the Mekong Delta.
Launched in April 2008, the three-year project targets the recovery of natural wetlands of the Plain of Reeds (Dong Thap Muoi) at the Tram Chim National Park.
With an annual expenditure of USD 250,000, the 3-year project is part of the global water conservation campaign launched by WWF and Coca-Cola in July 2007 with a total funding of USD 20 million.
Tram Chim National Park holds the largest of the last natural remnants of The Plain of Reeds. Recently the deterioration of water quality and reduction of biodiversity as well as depletion of natural resources of Tram Chim National Park caused by human activities has reached alarming levels.
“The risk of degradation of habitats can lead to the extinction of species such as the Sarus crane,” the WWF said in the press release.
The natural wetlands of Tram Chim provide opportunities for adaptation to climate change in terms of carbon sequestration, micro-climate regulation, water supply for irrigation and domestic use, and livelihoods for local people.
The park is now surrounded by 42,000 local people who reside in the buffer zone and 14 percent of them are living in poverty. With the support provided by the project, Tram Chim National Park is going to organize local households into User Groups who will join using natural resources in a move reasonable and sustainable manner, the WWF said.