A ceremony was held on Cu Lao Cham island, Hoi An city, the central province of Quang Nam, on May 25 to mark the 10th anniversary of the recognition by UNESCO of the island as a world biosphere reserve.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Hoi An People’s Committee Nguyen The Hung said the life of locals on the island has seen unceasing improvement, and the reserve has affirmed its position in the heart of domestic and foreign tourists. All this has strengthened the resolve of residents and authorities in keeping and improving the nature there.In 2009 when it was recognized, Cu Lao Cham welcomed only 15,000 tourists but the figure last year rose to 415,000. Currently, there are no poor households on the island and the annual per capita income of the community there is 42 million VND (1,800 USD).In the core of the reserve, over the past 10 years, the sea preservation and environment protection has always been a focus of attention from residents and administration. The local economic structure has also seen a strong shift to tourism and services.Cu Lao Cham is taken as a vivid evidence of the harmonious link between the nature and the human being.Currently Vietnam is home to nine world biosphere reserves.
