Panoramic view of Lang Co in Thua Thien - Hue province (Source: internet)Under the national strategy on integrated coastal zone to2020 with a vision to 2030, Thua Thien-Hue has built a plan on dividing thecoastal zone into areas for different use to 2020, with a vision to 2030, withthe aim of reducing and addressing contradictions in the exploitation,protection and improvement of the environment and natural resources in lagoonand coastal areas.
The plan also aims to preserve and optimize bio-diversity aswell as cultural, historical and landscape values, while alleviating theimpacts of natural disasters and climate change, and developing livelihoods forlocal communities, towards sustainable development.
Accordingly, 52 communes of five coastal districts andtowns were divided into 11 areas in four main groups, which are the group ofareas subject to preservation, protection and restoration, the group of bufferareas, the group of development areas and the group of reserve areas.
The group of preservation areas is projected to comprisefour nature reserves, eight aquatic reserves and one area for ecologicalrestoration. The area for ecological restoration is proposed to be the Ru Chamangrove forest with an area of between 50-100ha, which will be turned into anecological tourism site.
The group of development areas will comprise the Chan Mayeconomic complex, the tourism sites of Canh Duong-Lang Co-Chan May, DongDuong-Ham Rong, Ho Truoi-Nhi Ho-Suoi Voi and the Cau Hai Lake-Tu Hien Estuary.Also included in this group are the sea ports Thuan An and Chan May, along withcoastal fishing areas.
In the past, there was a vast area of mangrove forest inlagoons and along the coast, but at present only around 8ha of such forestsremain in Huong Phong (Huong Tra town), Canh Duong, Lap An and Lang Co lagoons(Phu Loc district), and Tan My (Phu Vang district). The province plans toinvest more in planting mangrove forests to improve protection against climatechange impacts and the lagoons’ ecological systems.
Earlier, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Microsoftfunded a project on restoring mangrove forest in Thua Thien Hue. Over thecourse of two years, more than 23,000 mangrove trees were planted in Ru Chaforest, more than half of which were planted at aquaculture ponds. The treeshelp cleanse the water in ponds and improve living environment for fish andshrimp.
Vice Chairwoman of Huong Tra Town’s People’s CommitteeNguyen Thi Thu Huong said the town has zoned off 300ha for mangrove forestdevelopment, including 70ha in Huong Phong commune. In the commune, localpeople play the main role in drafting plans for tree planting.
According to Huong, the development of mangrove forest willbe combined with expanding tourism, particularly eco-tourism in connection withsimilar services in the Tam Giang lagoon region.
The most important achievement in coastal zone managementis the establishment of 23 aquatic reserves with a total area of 600ha, withthe involvement and contribution in the form of labour and cash of the localfishermen. The local fishing association has set up teams to patrol and dealwith illegal fishing.
The community-based approach has proved to be efficient inprotecting the aquatic resources while ensuring stable livelihood for localcommunities.
The provincial Department for Natural Resources andEnvironment has requested the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmentprovide necessary equipment and vehicles to serve the survey, assessment, inspectionand monitor sea, lagoon and island resources.
The province plans to carry out several projects onbuilding a database and an integrated information system on marine resources,conducting surveys and zoning off wetland areas for protection and sustainabledevelopment./.
VNA
