Tra Vinh builds thousands of hectares of coastal cork forest

Tra Vinh province has about 9,500ha of cork, mangrove, date palm... In which, plantation forest accounts for nearly 6,600ha, protection forest occupies 5,410ha, and production forest accounts for 3,790ha.

Previously, the alluvial land along the Co Chien River in the two island communes of Long Hoa and Hoa Minh, Chau Thanh district, has witnessed the cutting of natural forests in a large area due to uncontrolled activities of the people. However, local authorities have focused on propaganda work to raise awareness about the benefits of planting and protecting forests.

Thanks to capital from the province's afforestation projects, Long Hoa commune has restored the cork forest ecosystem with an area of about 300 hectares. It has the potential to expand another 100 hectares of alluvial land. In the location adjacent to the sea, Dong Hai commune, Duyen Hai district, also benefits from forest restoration and development projects, creating a green landscape stretching over more than 500 hectares of mangrove forest.

Since 1990, Cau Ngang district has also succeeded in planting more than 500ha of cork forest. This cork forest not only plays an essential role in breaking waves and protecting about 15km of the river dike route from Vinh Kim to Thau Rau dam but also creates a thick canopy of cork forest from 200m to 600m outside the river dike to protect it.

Pham Van Sanh, who lives in Hamlet 5, My Long Nam commune, said that when the area of cork forest was expanded, seafood such as sea crabs and clams appeared more and more in alluvial and coastal alluvial areas.

Establishing and protecting coastal protection forests also plays an important role in breaking waves and protecting the agricultural production of local people. Specifically, in many households in Nha Mat and Con Trung hamlets, Truong Long Hoa commune, and Duyen Hai town, the land could only cultivate one rice crop or one watermelon and melon crop and often suffered damage due to frost and sea breeze. Since the province started planting protective forests along the coast, more than 100ha of productive land has been cultivated for two melon crops and one rice crop.

The rearrangement of the crop structure and the application of technical advances have helped households earn more than VND 120 million/year from 1 hectare of cultivated land. The protective forest belt in Truong Long Hoa commune has blocked flying sand and hoarfrost and created conditions for farmers to diversify crops and livestock. The models of planting potatoes and peanuts significantly improve the lives of the community.

The Tra Vinh Provincial People's Committee has approved the project of Long Khanh Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation Area to restore and develop mangrove forests, regenerate ecosystem diversity, and provide ecotourism experiences. The project's objective also includes building a household economic model in combination with forest protection and management. This reserve is more than 600ha wide, with tree species such as mangroves, fish sauce, cups, bean sprouts, and local date palms.

In particular, a mangrove forest with an area of ​​about 150ha has existed for more than 30 years in Dinh Cu hamlet, Long Khanh commune. And this is home to a long-standing mangrove ecosystem with many rare animals, such as iguanas, weasels, squirrels, cobras, and birds. However, mangrove areas are also threatened by the deforestation of cropland and the digging of shrimp ponds.

Tra Vinh Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has coordinated with Party committees and authorities of communes and townships in the province to strengthen propaganda and dissemination of legal knowledge on forest management and protection to people and also implement carry out forest monitoring and security following the provisions of the law. Individuals and organizations receiving contracts for forest management and protection are supported with VND 500,000/ha, including VND 300,000 from the central government and VND 200,000 from the provincial budget.

Deputy Head of Chau Thanh-Cau Ngang Inter-District Forest Protection Department, Nguyen Van Linh, said that mangroves make an important contribution to improving the ecological environment and maintaining the economic value development of many aquatic and marine products such as blood cockles, sea crabs, clams, shrimp and fish. This contributes to stabilizing the life and production activities of the community.

The Mekong Delta is one of the regions most affected by climate change. According to the province's climate change scenario, when the sea level rises by 1m, 40% of the natural land area of Tra Vinh province will be submerged in the sea. Protecting and developing mangrove forests is an effective solution to respond to climate change and protect the ecological environment.