Forest rangers coordinate with Ninh Binh Provincial Border Guard to patrol the mangrove forest in Kim Son District of Ninh Bình Province. VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH - Mangrove afforestation has significantly contributed to environmental protection and creating sustainable livelihoods for residents in the coastal Kim Sơn District in the northern province of Ninh Bình over the past few years.

Management and protection of mangrove forests has been a top priority for the local community.

Every year, the coastal areas of Kim Sơn District have been badly affected by climate change, including natural phenomena like tidal saltwater intrusion and floods that can cause a decline in aquaculture yields.

Local residents are aware of the importance of mangrove forests in protecting soil and people's livelihoods in the context of climate change and natural disasters that are becoming more and more severe.

Protecting mangrove forests helps residents develop the local economy while ensuring benefits in harmony with nature.

Đào Văn Tiến's family in Kim Trung Commune registered to manage 30ha of mangrove forest in 2019.

The forest helped provide an income for his family through fishing.

They catch the fish with non-destructive tools to protect the forest and generate more income.

Tiến said: “For many years, the expansion of mangrove forests has not only protected the diverse ecosystem and helped us respond to climate change, but has also brought rich seafood resources, creating sustainable livelihoods for coastal people.”

“The mangrove forests help regulate the climate, protect the coastal landscape, prevent land erosion and protect sea dikes,” he said.

“In particular, mangrove forests contribute to keeping an ecological balance in flooded areas and minimising marine pollution,” he added.

The mangrove forest in Kim Sơn District is a transition area between sea and land, so it has high biodiversity and is an ideal habitat for many types of marine animals.

The amount of nutrients in mangrove forests is quite rich, creating a food source for many valuable seafoods such as shrimp, crabs, mullet, clams and oysters.

The forest is also a nesting and feeding spot for many species of waterfowl and migratory birds. Major trees in the forests have also provided abundant pollen sources for local households' honey bee colonies.

Residents have also developed economic models combining afforestation, forest protection and aquaculture to create sustainable livelihoods.

From these sources of income, people and forest owners can also earn more income to help fund forest protection.

Major Lê Đình Định from the Kim Sơn border guard station said that forest owners, border guard soldiers and communes’ People’s committees had strengthened forest protection and development activities for the last several years, adding that any violations of forest protection measures had been detected and solved in good time.

Green walls for environment protection

Border guard soldier instructs a local person on measures to prevent wild animal hunting and trading in mangrove forests. VNA/VNS Photo

Kim Sơn is a coastal district in Ninh Bình Province with an 18-kilometre coastline. It boasts outstanding biodiversity and has been recognised by UNESCO as a buffer zone in a world biosphere reserve.

Numerous programmes and projects have been implemented to strengthen mangrove forest development in recent years, including initiatives such as the 'Mangrove Forest Plantation – Disaster Risk Reduction' project carried out by the provincial Red Cross; 'Mangrove Plantation to Combat Climate Change and Coastal Erosion', implemented by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment; and the '661 Project to Plant 5 Million Hectares of Forest' executed by the Kim Sơn Protection Forest Management Board in collaboration with the Provincial Military Command.

Since the beginning of this year, the district has planted 62.6ha of mangrove forest under the 'Restoration and Sustainable Management of Mangroves in the Red River Delta' project funded by the South Korean government.

Efforts to protect and develop mangrove forests in Kim Sơn have received strong support from the political system and local coastal communities. Forest rangers regularly patrol the forests, collaborating closely with relevant agencies, organisations and forest owners to develop annual forest protection plans.

They conduct inspections and crackdowns to prevent activities that harm the forests. Additionally, functional agencies provide advice to the Ninh Bình Forest Protection Department and the Kim Sơn District People's Committee on forest management, protection and development, as well as on forest zoning and planning.

Every year, local forest rangers conduct awareness campaigns for contracted forest protection households and the surrounding community. These efforts aim to raise public awareness of the vital importance and benefits of mangroves.

These activities have fostered greater community responsibility for forest management, environmental protection and ecological conservation.

According to Vũ Chí Thanh, head of the Kim Sơn District Forest Protection Unit, mangrove forests play a critical role in raising the ground level, forming a sturdy "green wall" that protects sea dikes.

As a result, during stormy seasons and high tides, dike sections shielded by mangroves remain intact, with dike bases accumulating sediment that enhances structural stability. This reduces the annual cost of dike maintenance and protects people's lives and property from natural disasters and floods, Thanh said.

Moreover, mangroves serve as significant carbon sinks and provide crucial habitats for the reproduction and growth of marine species.

“Efforts to manage, protect and develop mangrove forests will be further intensified, focusing on publicising forestry laws and government regulations concerning forest management and protection for social organisations and coastal communities living near mangroves,” he said.

“Functional agencies will aim to manage the mangrove forest ecosystem based on legally and scientifically sound planning, while resolutely preventing mangrove deforestation for aquaculture or other purposes,” he added. VNS