[Report 12. Full report 2.9 MB. pdf format]

Executive Summary

The Mekong Delta is the major agricultural and fisheries production zone in Vietnam. Increasing human demand for natural resources, coupled with agricultural intensification, has significantly reduced the extent of natural and semi-natural habitats in the delta.

Rice grown in the delta now accounts for about half the total national production, and the country stands as one of the world’s leading rice-exporting nations. Fisheries production is also an increasingly important foreign-exchange earner. These economic feats have only been achieved at great environmental cost. Few areas of natural or semi-natural habitat remain in the delta that are not subject to ever increasing levels of human exploitation, many of which are unsustainable.

The maintenance of the economic importance of the delta is dependent on maintaining ecosystem function, yet despite this, the current protected areas system may be inadequate in extent and insufficient in scope to adequately conserve representative biodiversity. Furthermore, the status of the delta’s biodiversity is both poorly known and poorly documented.

The aim of the project was to:

(i) Assist the identification, evaluation and conservation of key wetland sites in the Mekong Delta.

The project objectives were to:

(i) Review existing and planned biodiversity conservation activities in the Mekong Delta;

(ii) Identify key wetland sites for biodiversity conservation, using indicator species and Ramsar criteria;

(iii) Conduct a preliminary assessment of current resource-use and of any future development plans at each site;

(iv) Produce a strategy prescription for the conservation of key wetland biodiversity sites in the Mekong Delta;

(v) Advocate the prescriptive measures, including the need for protected area establishment and Ramsar designation among relevant provincial and central government agencies;

(vi) Develop a project proposal or proposals, to address the conservation of a priority site or sites identified by the project; and

(vii) Provide training in survey and conservation assessment for Vietnamese scientific staff.

To fulfil these aims, a three-phase project was implemented by the BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources. In phase 1, wetland sites were identified by a combination of a literature review and interviews with provincial authorities, and evaluated through rapid assessments. Phase 2 comprised detailed habitat assessments and bird surveys of sites which met the evaluation criteria of the rapid assessment. In this phase, sites were further evaluated according to a set of 14 criteria, to rank sites according to the biodiversity importance and the feasibility of conservation action for each site. The conservation threats and requirements for each site were also assessed. Phase 3 involved the selection of a few sites of the highest biodiversity value which met the criteria for designation under international conventions, in particular the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention).

In all, 29 sites were identified and visited. These comprised 13 inland (freshwater) wetlands, nine coastal (saltwater) wetlands and seven non-wetland sites which provided important nesting or roosting sites for waterbirds. Of these, 10 were selected for detailed surveys on the basis of the rapid assessment criteria, of which eight were freshwater and two were coastal sites. Bird colonies were assessed separately.

In total, 194 species of bird were recorded, including 14 globally threatened or near-threatened species. Several species were represented at a single site by 1% or more of the global, regional or flyway population, including the globally endangered Chinese Egret Egretta eulophotes, and the near-threatened Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus, Sarus Crane Grus antigone, and Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala. Amongst other groups of organisms, evidence was found for the continued existence of Sambar Cervus unicolor at one site.

Of the habitat types recorded, seasonally inundated grasslands and swamps, and mature semi-natural Melaleuca forest had the highest bird species richness. They also supported higher numbers of globally threatened and near-threatened bird species.

On the basis of the detailed phase 2 surveys, 10 priority wetland sites for conservation were evaluated and ranked as follows:

1. (highest) Seasonally inundated grasslands of the Ha Tien plain

2. Tram Chim National Park

3. U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve

4. Dat Mui Nature Reserve

5. Vo Doi Nature Reserve

6. Bai Boi

7. Tinh Doi

8. Tra Su

9. Lang Sen

10. (lowest) Lung Ngoc Hoang

The six highest-ranked sites were found to satisfy several of the criteria adopted by the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) to identify wetlands of international importance. Two sites (Dat Mui and Bai Boi) also fulfil the criteria for designation under the East Asia-Australasia Shorebird Network. We recommend that all these sites are nominated by the relevant Vietnamese authority accordingly.

The highest priority for biodiversity conservation was found to be the seasonally inundated grasslands of the Ha Tien plain. This area contains unique aspects of biodiversity, including significant populations of several globally threatened and near-threatened birds. Of particular note were a group of over 130 Sarus Cranes, and a pair of the endangered White-shouldered Ibis Pseudibis davisoni. The area also shows high diversity in flora, including unique gradients from brackish to freshwater and from acid to alluvial vegetation communities.

There is an urgent need for establishment of two protected areas in the Ha Tien plain, as the grassland here is under serious threat from conversion to agricultural land. Currently, grassland is regarded as ‘unused’ land, and its conservation will be dependent on changing attitudes to this irreplaceable habitat.

In addition to the establishment of two new nature reserves in the Ha Tien plain, Kien Giang province, we also propose that Bai Boi in Ca Mau province be decreed a nature reserve. Furthermore, three sites should have the area of the decreed nature reserve extended: U Minh Thuong (Kien Giang province), Vo Doi and Dat Mui (Ca Mau province). Four sites (Tra Su and Tinh Doi, An Giang province, Lang Sen, Long An province, and Lung Ngoc Hoang, Can Tho province) are not suitable for gazettement as nature reserves at national level due to their small size and/or severe management obstacles to overcome. However, establishing these as provincial level nature reserves would be a first step in improving the conservation importance and potential of these sites.

Of the bird colonies visited, Bac Lieu Nature Reserve, and Ca Mau, Tra Cu and Chua Hang bird sanctuaries held the largest numbers of birds including globally near-threatened species. However, the largest colony was that found within U Minh Thuong, which held over 5,000 birds, including up to 9% of the South-East Asian population of Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus. However, this colony is not currently included in the decreed U Minh Thuong Nature Reserve, and we recommend that the protected area be extended to include this important colony.

To fully address the conservation issues operating in the Mekong Delta, an overall wetlands management strategy is needed. We propose a strategy addressing three main issues:

1. The establishment of a representative network of protected areas, both in terms of habitat representation and overall coverage.
   

   We recommend the establishment of three new nature reserves, and extensions to three existing nature reserves, to increase the total area of the Mekong Delta protected as decreed nature reserve by 45,561 ha, from 22,509 to 68,070 ha. The total protected area would then constitute 1.7% of the total land area of the delta.

2. A shift in agricultural policy planning that recognises the social, economic and biodiversity values of wetlands, especially freshwater. This includes the formulation of a national wetlands strategy, the identification of a national wetlands management authority, and fulfilment of the commitments made by Vietnam under the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention. It also requires a reassessment of government resettlement policy, to ensure that the requirements of this policy to maintain ecological balance are taken into account.
   
3. Ensuring donor support is focused on freshwater ecosystems in the delta.

To date there has been an overemphasis on coastal zone projects in the Mekong Delta. In the future, donors should support conservation and sustainable management of freshwater wetlands.

[Report 12. Full report 2.9 MB. pdf format]