A wide range of activities marking 2013’s World Wetlands Day were organised in Hanoi on February 2.
Department of Biodiversity Conservation Deputy Head Hoang Thi Thanh Nhan, stressed the importance of Hanoi’s wetlands and lakes and their close links to water resources.
The activities, themed Wetlands Take Care of Water, help raise public awareness of wetland protection, she said.
Centre for Environment and Community Research’s (CECR) Deputy Director Nguyen Tram Anh noted its extensive research on Hanoi’s lakes over the past three years.
It has also published books profiling 120 of the city’s ponds and lakes, launched a website, and organised various domestic and international conferences on the sustainable use of Hanoi’s lakes in the context of urbanisation and climate change.
The centre plans to conduct further research on ponds in the Quang An, Nhat Tan, and Hoang Van Thu wards, and create a lake management model with the participation of the Quang An community.
Hanoi University of Natural Resources and Environment (HUNRE) students from the volunteer club distributed leaflets on environmental protection earlier in the day, encouraging locals to avoid polluting lakes with waste—especially when celebrating the Kitchen Gods Festival.