The People’s Committee of the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has
freshly approved a funding of 208 billion VND to preserve and develop
Tram Chim National Park sustainably in 2013-2020.
It aims to preserve cajeput forests and submerged grassland and protect
rare species of flora and fauna, especially red-headed cranes, and set
up a management system in the park.
Located in Tam
Nong district, Tram Chim National Park boasts a rich
biodiversity that turned it into the world’s 2000th Ramsar site in
2012.
Established in 1985, the
7,313-hectare Tram Chim became a national park in 1998 and then the
fourth Ramsar site in Vietnam.
The park’s plentiful green vegetation is inhabited by more than 130
species of higher plants featuring six main types of floristic
societies.
Water life in the park is also bustling
seeing the presence of over 150 species of freshwater fish, with some
listed in Vietnam’s Red Book like clown feather-back fish, common
archerfish and giant barbs, nearly 180 algae species, 26 epifauna
species, 350 species of plankton and 34 species of amphibian.
Tram Chim is home to 198 bird species, including 16 rare ones such as
red-headed cranes, black-faced spoonbills, black eagles, great-billed
herons and spotted-billed pelicans. It was recognised as an important
bird sanctuary in Vietnam.
The diversity is largely attributable to the physical feature of the
park which lies in the low-lying area of Dong Thap Muoi (Plain of Reeds)
and benefits vastly from the flood cycle generated by the Mekong
River .
Providing a perfect habitat for
hundreds of flora and fauna species, the park also offers an ideal
destination for ecotourism in Dong Thap Muoi.
To
preserve the park, a number of projects jointly developed by local
authorities and state and international agencies have been launched to
reduce local residents’ dependence on the park and raise their awareness
of protecting its environment.
Local
residents have been encouraged to get involved in managing natural
resources offered by the park and utilising them in a sustainable
manner.-VNA