The wetlands of Viet Nam – lakes, rivers, coasts and deltas

Coordinator: Mr. Ly Minh Dang

Vietnam is a nation with a dense network of rivers and streams, with more than 3,000km of coastline. Wetlands are therefore vital to the daily lives of all Vietnamese people and the socio-economic development of the country. The cultures are deeply rooted in the vast deltas of the Mekong and Red River Deltas. Recognizing the importance of wetlands, Vietnam was one of the first countries in Asia to join the Ramsar Convention, in 1989 and since then, policy, legislation and institutional frameworks have been developed and implemented to promote the sustainable management of wetlands. This session is designed to provide an overall picture of wetlands in Vietnam and sharing information and lessons-learnt on management and conservation practices through a series of presentations and facilitated discussions. Researchers, managers, scientists, practitioners and communities are invited to contribute to the session. The session will generally consist of the following topics

(i) Overview of wetlands in Vietnam – distribution, types, roles, values and trends;

(ii) Policy, legislation and institutional settings for wetlands management and conservation in Vietnam;

(iii) Past and current management and conservation efforts, especially those after Vietnam joining Ramsar Convention;

(iv) Lessons learnt from application of innovative approaches to wetlands management and conservation: co-management, ecosystem management; economic instruments Role of I/NGOs in wetlands management and conservation in Vietnam.