Vietnam's mangrove expansion protects lagoon from climate change

Hanoi, July 19 (VNA) - More than 3,000 mangrove saplings were planted in the environs of Lap An Lagoon in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue on July 16-17 in response to climate change. The project, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), drew the participation of nearly 100 students from Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry and local fishermen. Lap An is an 1,655-hectare brackish water lagoon located in Lang Co town, Phu Loc district. About 300 hectares of mangrove forests to the west and the east of the lagoon have degraded over time due to the impacts of climate change. The expansion of mangrove forests in the lagoon will help protect the coastal area and increase alluvial soil deposits, benefiting the development of local economy. It was the third planting of mangroves in the lagoon since the beginning of 2016, raising the total mangroves grown here to 10,000, said Chairman of the Phu Loc district People’s Committee Nguyen Van Manh. Prior to the project, the People’s Committee of Lang Co town has implemented a programme to manage and restore community-based mangrove forests in Lang Co Lagoon. It aimed at conserving the ecosystem and enriching aquatic resources in the lagoon with a total investment of 500 million VND (22,420 USD).-VNA