The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Nokia Company kicked off a project to help Thua Thien Hue Province adapt and mitigate climate change and conserve biodiversity.
Mangrove nursery garden in Thua Thien Hue Province
The project is to last from 2012 to 2014 in Ru Cha forest and will help plant over 23,000 mangrove trees across 20 hectares in the coastal lagoon area.
It will also help provide training in plant management to over 300 local people.
More than 400 local households will benefit through improved sustainable aquaculture management practices, reduced flooding and more reliable crops.
With a rich biodiversity, Ru Cha provides a livelihood for many in the local community, mainly aquaculture and crop farming.
Nguyen Trong, Vice Chairman Forestry Science and Technology Association in Thua Thien Hue Province, said the use of mangrove trees for fire, land clearing for aquaculture ponds and building of a barrier to sea water have narrowed the mangrove forest to only 4.65 hectares, degraded aquatic resources and reduced the number of migratory birds.
This has also caused erosion and contributed to the collapse houses and damaged crops during the wet season, Trong said.
The mangrove trees planted in the project will protect against existing seasonal threats and offer long-term resistance against climate change, he added.
“The launch of this joint initiative between WWF and Nokia is an excellent step towards strengthening Ru Cha mangrove forest’s biodiversity, resistance to climate change and sustainable aquaculture practices. Importantly, the project will also improve the livelihoods of the surrounding community in Thua Thien Hue province”, Ms. Le Thuy Anh, Center Annamite Landscape Manager, WWF-Vietnam said.
