Rú Chá wetland forest is seen in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province. The area is part of the new established Tam Giang-Cầu Hai wetland protected area in central Việt Nam. VNS Photo Hồ Cầu

THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ  — The establishment of two new wetland protected areas (WPAs) – Thái Thụy WPA in the northern Thái Bình Province and Tam Giang-Cầu Hai WPA in the central Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, were seen as positive major outcomes of the ‘Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas and Linked Landscapes’ project in 2015-20.

A report from the United Nations Development Programme in Việt Nam (UNDP) found that regulations and policies had been issued by the Government to promote sustainable wetland management and conservation.

The project also helped integrate wetland conservation and management into the main plans of the two provinces, improving livelihoods for local communities and awareness and capacity building in conservation, management, and sustainable use of wetlands at the national and provincial levels.

The project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) through UNDP, was implemented from 2015 to 2020 to establish new wetland protected areas and minimise existing and emerging threats from linked landscapes by strengthening capacity to manage protected areas.

“The establishment of two wetland protected areas in the two provinces demonstrates the sustainable development goals between the socio-economic development and nature conservation, biodiversity, and environmental protection,” Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Võ Tuấn Nhân said at the project closing event last week.

“Although facing many difficulties, the two wetland protected areas were set up with the strong commitment of the leaders of Thái Bình and Thừa Thiên-Huế provinces and the consensus of the local people,” he said.

He added the Thái Thụy WPA and Tam Giang-Cầu Hai are the first WPAs to be established under the provisions of the 2008 Law on Biodiversity in Việt Nam.

Government Decree No. 66/2019/ND-CP dated July 29, 2019, on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and its guiding documents have contributed to fulfilling Việ Nam's legal framework for wetland management and improving the management of WPAs in the face of development pressures and the increasingly severe global impacts of climate change, according to the UNDP’s report.

The mangrove forest is well preserved at Thái Thụy Wetland Protected Area in Thái Bình Province. It is one of two new WPAs established in Việt Nam. VNS Photo Công Thành

“As this project closes, the momentum for the protection and sustainable use of wetlands must continue and collaboration among all stakeholders must be enhanced. We count on the leadership of MONRE to mobilise financial resources from both the public and private sector to ensure adequate resources for the efficient protection and management of wetlands,” Sitara Syed, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative in Việt Nam, said.

To date, 11 WPAs have been established in Việt Nam, while nine biosphere reserves for protection and conservation.

A list of 16 protected marine areas (MPAs) was added to the list of natural protected areas in the country.

However, serious threats of pollution, dynamite and electric shock fishing and haphazard infrastructure construction for tourism have been seen as major challenges for the existence of the WPAs, MPAs, natural reserves and national parks. — VNS