Provincial merger restarting conservation, promoting green growth

Amidst Vietnam’s new era of development, with the merger of provinces and cities and the two-level local administration model, authorities believe that expanding inter-regional conservation spaces will contribute significantly to fostering green growth for the country.

This is also a vital mandate to protect the precious forests and sea that ancestors sacrificed and gave their lives, preserving them for future generations.

This natural treasure of limestone mountains and rare, endemic animal and plant species is being negatively impacted by stone mining and cement production activities. Tang Xuan Hoa, Deputy Head of the Agriculture and Forest Protection Sub-department under the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ninh Binh province emphasised that the department supports expanding conservation to achieve sustainable green development.

The merger of Ha Nam, Nam Dinh and Ninh Binh into Ninh Binh province will unlock tremendous potential for the sustainable development of natural conservation zones, Hoa said.

Expanding the Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve into the Kim Bang forest area will create favourable conditions for wildlife, especially endemic primate species. This includes the Delacour’s langur a rare primate species discovered in Ha Nam in 2016. The expansion provides them larger and safer habitats, while also reducing habitat fragmentation, which is a major cause of species decline.

In addition, the administrative merger presents a significant opportunity for the new province to sustainably develop an integrated eco-cultural-spiritual tourism chain linking Tam Chuc, Trang An, Cuc Phuong, Van Long, and Kim Son, he said. If well-managed, these conservation areas can not only protect nature but also attract tourists, thereby creating livelihoods for local communities while generating resources for conservation efforts.

According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, the merger not only aligns with the country’s inevitable development trend, but also presents an opportunity for localities to restructure and create a strong boost for sustainable tourism development.

The opportunity for sustainable green tourism can only truly become a driving force if provinces and cities demonstrate strong commitment. They need to act in a coordinated manner, and implement clear strategies, placing people at the centre, leveraging local resources as the foundation, and using regional connectivity as a catalyst for growth, the agency noted.

Nguyen Van Thai, Director of Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, highlighted challenges in the country’s wildlife rescue efforts, noting that while Vietnam has many rescue centers, most are small and lack the capacity to receive, care for, and treat rare species, resulting in wasted genetic resources.

The merger of provinces and cities and new administrative systems mean the State needs to unify investment and management in a systematic manner. This can be done by establishing regional rescue, conservation, and breeding centres funded by the central budget. These centres should be managed at the ministerial level, following the highly effective model in Thailand.

Le Tran Nguyen Hung, Deputy Director of the Department of Fisheries and Fishery Surveillance under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, remarked that the reduction from 63 to 34 provinces and centrally-run cities will certainly create a broader conservation space and enable more effective management.

For example, marine ecosystems in localities, after the mergers, will form a wide biological corridor allowing for a more comprehensive approach. This is also an opportunity to make breakthroughs in green development, enhancing the value of the sea, thereby not only promoting tourism but also strengthening sustainable livelihoods for the community, Hung emphasised./.