The workshop is expected to raise awareness of mangrove afforestation and protection for the alignment of planning and implementation of mangrove projects. (Photo: VNA)

Local authorities and experts from international organisations and partners have discussed measures to increase the mangrove restoration and afforestation in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta region at a workshop in Hanoi.

Speaking at the June 10 workshop, Head of the International Cooperation Department Nguyen Do Anh Tuan said the Mekong Delta region is at the forefront of climate change adaptation in Vietnam.

The region has strengthened measures to enhance forest management as well as climate change adaptation and sustainable development with support from international partners.

The workshop is expected to raise awareness of mangrove afforestation and protection for the alignment of planning and implementation of mangrove projects, Tuan said.

It also aims to facilitate a platform where stakeholders at central and local levels could discuss smooth, effective and efficient cooperation and coordination.

Highlighting the importance of the forest in climate change mitigation and adaptation, Paul Bergsma, from the consultancy firm Royal Haskoning DHV, said mangroves have helped protect the coasts against natural disasters such as storms while increasing resilience and adaptation to climate change.

He said: “The success of the approach to mangrove restoration depends mainly on the sediment supply and stability, tidal hydrology, community participation and land tenure consideration.”

Tran Cong Hung from the Management Board for Forestry Projects said the mangrove belt and the coastal zone of the Mekong Delta have been in a serious state of degradation.

The degradation has been caused by a range of factors including lack of sediment, and the land use in the coastal zone pressing the dike seaward, he said.

The inadequate water management and overexploitation of groundwater resulting in land subsidence along with the inland shrimp farming have also contributed to the degradation of mangroves in the region, the official said.

The workshop themed 'mangrove afforestation in the Mekong Delta for sustainable coastal resilience' was co-organised by the Netherlands Embassy, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

It attracted participants from the agriculture ministry and other relevant ministries, central government agencies and coastal provinces in the Mekong Delta, and representatives from key international partners including the Netherlands Embassy, ADB, World Wide Fund for Nature and International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The ADB and the Government of the Netherlands have committed to supporting Vietnam in strengthening the coastal zones of the Mekong Delta and the resilience of its inhabitants.

The ministry is currently working on a proposal to restore the natural environment and strengthen coastal protection to increase resilience to the impacts of climate change in the five coastal provinces of Bac Lieu, Soc Trang, Tra Vinh, Ben Tre and Tien Giang during 2023 - 2029.

The project will apply for ABD loans.