Plain of Reeds wetland restoration project

  • Vietnam

ENTRY DATE: 09.03.2012 | LAST UPDATE: 09.03.2012

SCALE:

  • Sub-national Level

TARGET AREA:

  • Rural

BEST PRACTICE IN:

  • Capacity Building
  • Governance
  • Project Implementation

KEY SECTOR:

  • Wetlands Management

FUNDING AMOUNT:

Description of Intervention

• Implementation of a hydrology management regime, based on scientific evidence, mimicking the historic flood pulse of the Mekong, allowing a proper dry and wet season in the Tram Chim wetlands;
• Partial restoration of flows within the wetland by removing sections of dykes originally built to retain and stock water;
• Organization of community members into natural resource user groups to effectively manage the fishery and other wetland resources; and
• Training of national park managers and government officers on the national park management and introduction of a conservation science advisory board.

Problems to be Addressed

The management approaches and policies adopted for the Tram Chim National Park (TCNP) were designed for upland forests (i.e., inappropriate for this ecosystem type), resulting in degradation of the natural wetlands and thus negatively impacting the livelihoods of people dependent on the area. Water was permanently stocked (i.e., areas were flooded), leading to a loss of habitats and species. The damaged ecosystems were further stressed by climate change. The conservation of the TCNP was constrained due to a conflict among the local people and insufficient capacity of the national park managers and government officers to manage the wetlands, as well as overly restrictive national protected area policies.

Aims

Increase the resilience of the Tram Chim National Park’s ecosystems and natural resource based livelihoods to existing stresses that would exacerbate climate change impacts through the rehabilitation of ecosystem integrity of the natural wetlands

Objectives

Increase the resilience of the Tram Chim National Park’s ecosystems and natural resource based livelihoods to existing stresses that would exacerbate climate change impacts through the rehabilitation of ecosystem integrity of the natural wetlands

How it fits into the EbA concept

• Improvement of water flows in the area of natural wetlands enhances the connectivity of ecosystems in the national park; and
• The enhanced capacities of national park managers and government officers on wetland management and the formation of natural resource user groups for the management of wetland resources helps sustain governance of the national park, ensuring the resilience of ecosystems to changing climate and the continued supply of ecosystem services for local people’s livelihoods.