Experts from Holland, Germany and Australia shared their countries’
expertise and experience on sustainable environment management in
coastal areas with a view to applying for the Mekong Delta region at a
dialogue held in Can Tho City on November 4.
The event was
co-organised by the Steering Committee for the Southwest Region and the
Mekong Delta province of Soc Trang in collaboration with the German
Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Integrated Coastal
Management Programme (ICMP), as part of activities in the framework of
the Mekong Delta Economic Development (MDEC) Forum now underway in Soc
Trang.
Among 13 Mekong Delta provinces, seven are located along
the coastline. In recent years, coastal areas are facing serious
environmental challenges, particularly the shrinking of mangrove
forests, salt water intrusion and waste discharge from aquaculture.
Domestic and foreign experts analysed the current environmental
conditions in the Mekong Delta’s coastal areas and explained the
approaches to the issue adopted by other countries. They proposed
solutions to the existing problems in managing coastal areas in Vietnam
and how to efficiently learn from international experiences in this
field.
Participants were also polled about an inter-province
mechanism to carry out an integrated protection programme for coastal
areas and mangrove ecology in the Mekong Delta.
The dialogue
outlined a coordination mechanism between Mekong Delta localities, the
Southwestern Steering Committee, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and the GIZ to facilitate cooperation projects in the time
ahead.-VNA