Coastal areas with high concentration of economic activities and
population density are extremely vulnerable to climate change, warned
experts at a recent workshop on community-based mangroves management in
response to climate change.
Resilience and recovery
of coastal areas depend on the capacity of communities and the health of
marine and coastal ecosystems, of which mangrove forests play a very
important role, they said at the event held in Hanoi by the Centre for
Marinelife Conservation and Community Development.
According to Ho Thi Yen Thu, representative of Vietnamese Network of
Non-governmental Organizations and Climate Change, climate change is
currently one of the biggest challenges for the mankind. For Vietnam
with a long coastline of over 3,260km, this problem becomes extremely
urgent.
To respond to climate change and ensure
livelihood and environment for coastal residents requires efforts from
the government and the people as well as the unified direction of
community-based mangrove rehabilitation in the long run.
The workshop is held in the framework of the 2013 Action Plan of the
memorandum of cooperation, coordination and information sharing on
climate change adaptation activities between the Department of
Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change under the Ministry of Natural
Resources and Environment, and the network of Vietnamese
non-governmental organizations.
The main
objective of the workshop is to improve the general understanding of the
current situation, as well as ecosystem services related to mangroves
in the context of climate change in Vietnam. Thus, the role of the
community and stakeholders in the development of a mechanism for
management of mangrove forests respond to climate change has been
enhanced effectively.
Mangrove forests are the
places which nurse and develop many aquatic species, provide medicine,
fuel and landscapes for tourism. On the other hand, they also serve as
shields to protect coastal areas and green lungs absorbing carbon
dioxide and regulating temperature and climate. However, at present, the
area under mangroves in Vietnam is only about 155,000 hectares which
declined about 60 percent in comparison with that of over the past 70
years.
With communities investing a great deal of
effort in protecting and developing mangrove forests, its coverage has
been relatively stable over the past 10 years in the country, and even
increased in many provinces.
Supported by
non-governmental organizations, community-based models of mangrove
forest management have been developed in Giao Thuy (Nam Dinh), Cat Ba
(Hai Phong), Can Gio (Ho Chi Minh City), and Hau Loc (Thanh Hoa).
To date, mangrove forests have brought into play its role in disaster
prevention, building a “green wall” against wave and helping protect the
dyke system. They help improve the ecological environment and
development of many marine species and enrich the fauna and flora in
coastal areas, thus help contribute to socio-economic development.
Many international organizations such as UNESCO, FFI and JICA have
provided supports or collaborated with provincial authorities and
organizations such as the Red Cross, Farmers’ Association, Women’s Union
and Youth Union to raise public awareness and develop projects related
to forest planting, care and protection in the coastal localities,
especially Ha Long Bay.-VNA