Erosion is one of the factors that has led to a loss of protection forests in a coastal area in Gò Công Đông District in Tiền Giang Province. — VNA/VNS Photo Minh Trí

TIỀN GIANG — The Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tiền Giang will plant 250ha of new protection forests in coastal areas from 2021 to 2025, twice the amount of the 2015-20 period, according to the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

About 1,300ha coastal protection forests, mostly mangrove trees, help protect sea dykes and prevent erosion along the province's coast.

Mangrove forests are planted along the 32 kilometre provincial coastline and along the mouths of the Vàm Cỏ and the Tiền River in Gò Công Đông and Tân Phú Đông districts.

However, the mangrove forests have declined in both area and quality in recent years because of coastal erosion, strong waves and other factors.

In Gò Công Đông, strong waves have caused erosion 10-20 metres deep inland annually, resulting in a loss of 20ha of mangrove forest each year.    

The district’s Tân Điền and Tân Thành communes have many coastal sections that have lost protection forests, affecting the safety of the dyke that protects 37,000ha of farmland inside the dyke.  

The province is planning public information campaigns to raise awareness in all classes of people about the importance of planting new forests and protecting existing forests.

The province is also giving more responsibility for managing, protecting and developing forests to local authorities. New forests must be planted to make up for the losses of the areas that have been re-purposed for other uses.

It plans to allocate about 1,000ha of coastal protection forests to local households and organisations to protect and exploit natural resources.

It has called for investment for planting forests, and has funds from domestic and foreign organisations to prevent erosion and plant protection forests along the Gò Công sea, which will help restore and sustainably develop the local mangrove systems in response to climate change. — VNS