Thua Thien Hue Province, June 5th, 2020 - The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Provincial People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue co-organized the event Launching the Establishment of Tam Giang – Cau Hai Wetland Protected Area in Quang Thai Commune, Quang Dien District, Thua Thien Hue Province. The event was held on the occasion of World Environment Day, one of the most important opportunities of the year to raise awareness and encourage action for conservation around the world.

The launching event was attended by more than 200 delegates from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; agencies and organizations in Thua Thien Hue province, including the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Council, the Provincial People's Committee, and representatives of sectors, agencies, mass organizations, and communities in Thua Thien Hue province; UNDP Viet Nam; and environment and biodiversity experts working in Viet Nam.

The Tam Giang – Cau Hai Wetland Protected Area, established under Decision No.495/QD-UBND dated February 20th, 2020 of the Provincial People's Committee of Thua Thien Hue, is one of the two wetland protected areas established under the support framework of the project Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas and Linked Landscapes (2015-2020) funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is the project management agency, and the Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment is the project owner.

The Tam Giang – Cau Hai Wetland Protected Area in Thua Thien Hue province is the largest semi-closed lagoon system in Southeast Asia. It is remarkable for its rich biodiversity and diverse ecosystems, including an identified 1,296 species (of which 41 are considered rare and precious) living in specific regional ecosystems such as seagrass beds, freshwater aquatic plants, river estuaries, and mangrove forests. Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon plays an important role in ensuring an optimal habitat and living environment for both aquatic and terrestrial animals, and provides safe breeding grounds for a number of valuable species. It is an especially important sanctuary for migratory birds in the winter, including a number of globally threatened and internationally important water birds listed in the IUCN Red List and Viet Nam’s Red Book. There are also many species of high economic value in this lagoon that provide aquatic resources, shrimp, and fish for the lagoon's socio-economic development.

“Mangrove forests and wetland ecosystems provide invaluable services, from filtering pollution to protecting people and infrastructure from natural disasters and creating livelihood opportunities for local communities. Viet Nam’s 12 million hectares of wetlands provide primary livelihoods and additional income for around 20 million people,” said Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam.

The establishment of the Tam Giang – Cau Hai Wetland Protected Area will contribute to the effective conservation of the province's lagoon biodiversity value while also ensuring the wise use of wetlands for sustainable socio-economic development of the region and responding to climate change. The establishment of the Tam Giang – Cau Hai Wetland Protected Area is highly significant for the conservation and development of a typical and important tropical marine ecosystem in Viet Nam, and will be an opportunity to carry out conservation activities, protect natural resources, ensure ecological balance, and maintain the natural landscape and biodiversity value for the region’s long-term socio-economic development.

At an earlier stage, the Thai Thuy Wetland Protected Area in Thai Binh province was also established under Decision No.2514/QD-UBND dated September 6th, 2019 of the Thai Binh Provincial People's Committee.

“UNDP is proud to have provided technical support to the Government of Viet Nam, especially to MONRE and MARD, in formulating key policy frameworks such as the Law on Forestry, the Law on Biodiversity, and the Law on Environmental Protection. We are delighted to have contributed to the establishment of the two new Wetland Protected Areas in Viet Nam in Thai Binh and Thua Thien Hue,” Ms. Wiesen highlighted.

For more information, please contact the following:
Ms. Phan Huong Giang
Media & Communications Analyst
United Nations Development Programme
Phone: 0948466688
email: phan.huong.giang@undp.org

Ms. Doan Ngoc Khanh
Conservation of Critical Wetland Protected Areas and Linked Landscapes Project
Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment
Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment
Phone: 04. 37931627 (ext: 113)
Fax: 04. 37931730
E-mail: dnkhanh@isponre.gov.vn