by Thien Ly
Authorities plan to boost conservation efforts at Dong Ho Lake in the southern province of Kien Giang. — File Photo
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The statement was made by Le Van Thi, chairman of the People's Committee, at an international seminar held in Ha Tien on Friday.
The
seminar's main objectives included assessing the current social and
natural conditions surrounding Dong Ho Lake and its potential.
Identifying
these factors would help experts, scientists and officials develop
policies on conservation, exploitation and development of the lake, said
Lam Hoang Sa, vice-chair of the People's Committee.
He
said that information presented at the conference by scientists,
managers and professionals would be used by provincial departments in
their implementation of conservation and sustainable development
programmes for the lake in the context of climate change and the rise of
sea levels.
"It will also be used to support planning for Ha Tien to become a city of culture and tourism," he said.
"Ha
Tien town is well-known for its numerous tourism attractions and
historical monuments, and has been recognised as a border-gate economic
zone and key tourism site of Kien Giang Province," Thi said.
"The
karst mountain ecosystems and wetland in Ha Tien is considered to be of
special importance. The saltwater Dong Ho Lake is a highlight of Viet
Nam's coastal lagoon system."
Located
in the centre of Ha Tien township, the 1,384-ha lake with 903ha of
water surface, surrounded by 249,53ha of mangrove forests and 171,23ha
under aquaculture cultivation plays a pivotal role in the economic,
cultural and social life of residents, and is also valued for its
biological diversity.
Sa
said that it was urgent to plan for conservation of the ecosystem and
hydrological regulation as well as the mitigation of flood damage
downstream of Giang Thanh River.
All related departments and agencies had to begin working together soon on these goals, he said.
However,
Sa noted that no official scientific research or statistical analysis
and evaluation of the lake's value had been conducted.
More
than 200 delegates including many foreign experts and scientists
attended the conference delivering 20 presentations on three major
topics.
These topics
included the conservation of wetlands, mangroves and biodiversity of
Dong Ho Lake, and the relationship between conservation and development
of Dong Ho Lake in the context of climate change and sea-level rise.
It
also included examining the means of livelihood, environmental problems
and treatment, planning for the lake area, and developing strategies
for conserving and promoting cultural heritage of Ha Tien to develop a
tourism industry.
Prof
Nguyen Ngoc Tran, director of the Cuu Long (Mekong) Development Research
Institute, said Dong Ho Lake was the shallowest place in the sub-region
of Ha Tien of Long Xuyen Quadrangle, with water running from Hau River.
"The
environment of Dong Ho is under great pressure from the economic
development of Ha Tien, particularly from urbanisation. Thus, between
Dong Ho and the Gulf of Thailand, the river and the sea flows are
becoming imbalanced.
Le
Duc Tuan, director of the Institute of Can Gio Mangrove Forest, said
that "Dong Ho Lake is a reservoir with several mangrove forests. The
preservation of the lake should be given appropriate attention by the
local authority and scientists, policymakers, provincial administration
and the central government."
Dr.
Thai Thanh Luom, director of Kien Giang Province's Department of
Natural Resources and Environment, said the lake was downstream of the
Giang Thanh River which originated from Cambodia and flowed across the
Ha Tien border and into the lake out to the sea adjacent to both Viet
Nam and Cambodia.
Because
the lake originates from the natural river and is in the southwestern
part of the country, the floral and fauna distribution is dominated by
three types of ecosystems: the riverside ecosystem, a freshwater source
from upstream, and a brackish ecosystem, the latter an intermediary
between salty fresh water and the salty coastal ecosystem.
"Because
Dong Ho Lake has such high biodiversity, surveys of the area need to be
undertaken to understand fauna and flora compositions there. Another
task is to classify species and determine rare or endangered species,
and the endemic species at Dong Ho Lake," Luom said.
There
are about 704 families with about 3,006 people living mainly in the
southwestern and southern areas near the lake. Most of these families
live in poor conditions so it is of paramount importance to have proper
planning and research conducted of the local community in the Dong Ho
Lake area as soon as possible, according to Mai Van Huynh, chairman of
the People's Committee of Ha Tien Township.
Huynh
said that the provincial administration should develop policies to help
local people find decent jobs so they would not continue to destroy the
area's natural resources in order to make a profit.
Dr.
Sharon Brown, chief of the Kien Giang Biosphere Conseveration Project
and Climate Change in Coastal Ecosystem Programme, said in its
conservation plan the province should have regulations that species
which fish species in the Dong Ho Lake could be exploited and how long
this exploitation could last. The aim is to protect biodiversity and
prevent extinction of the variety of species.
The
event was jointly organised by the Kien Giang People's Committee and
Germany's GIZ Viet Nam under the support from UNESCO Viet Nam and the
Australian Development Agency. — VNS
Source: http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn//Environment/217601/Experts-discuss-Dong-Ho-Lake-conservation.html
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