The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Intel Products Vietnam Co., Ltd began last weekend a joint project to restore habitats in Lang Sen Wetland Reserve in the Mekong delta with an aim to plant more than 12,000 trees this year. The project targets to provide habitats for wildlife and improve livelihoods for local residents whose livelihoods depend on the area’s ecosystem. The project will benefit hundreds thousands people in the Mekong delta province of Long An. “The Plain of Reeds, including the area of Lang Sen Wetland, not only has a crucial environmental role in protecting the Mekong Delta’s wildlife, but also provides the fundamental eco-system services for local communities,” said Trinh Thi Long, Fresh Water Practice coordinator at WWF-Vietnam. The partnership between WWF and Intel Products Vietnam also aims to support local authorities in fights against water scarcity in the Mekong delta thanks to the function of storing floodwaters during the rainy season and releasing freshwater into surrounding communities and recharging groundwater in the dry season. The Plain of Reeds (or Dong Thap Muoi) is a "back swamp" forming a large inundated depression of highly acidic soil. Until the 1970s, only primitive floating rice could be grown in the area. Currently, only 1% of the area’s natural wetlands remains intact. To counteract the trend of degraded eco-system integrity, WWF has been delivering a comprehensive ecosystem-based climate change adaptation program since 2007. WWF started working in Lang Sen in 2010 to improve water management, conserve bio-diversity, and establish a monitoring system for the recovery of the natural habitat. Officially established in 2004, Lang Sen Wetland Reserve is among the few natural remnants of the Plain of Reeds and home to almost 300 species of plants and animals. It provides freshwater and fisheries to 9,000 people in the surrounding areas. (Vietnamplus.vn Sept 19)
