How Planting Mangroves Can Mitigate Disasters Caused By Natural Hazard And Yield Profits In Viet Nam

By Soraya Prudent

"Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyze and reduce the causal factors of disasters. Reducing exposure to hazards, lessening vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and the environment, and improving preparedness for adverse events are all examples of disaster risk reduction" (UNISDR - United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction).

Pacific Asia is one of the region hardest-hit by natural hazards and disasters. With its peculiar

geography, Vietnam is extremely vulnerable to natural hazards. Indeed, its coastline is subjected to typhoons, its mountainous terrain is hit alternately by floods and drought and its wide river deltas are particularly predisposed to flooding.

The impacts of these hazards are unpredictable; they can create extreme environments for unprepared populations and lead them to an extreme state of vulnerability.

In order to prevent such a dire situation, DRR programs are established by NGOs, local organizations and governments. These programs are mainly focused on prevention and preparedness. They consist in training local population to adopt the right behavior, gestures, etc. in front of the hazard. It will help them to know what to do during the crisis

and how to manage it before it happens and after.

However, for several years, these organizations have been trying to combine environmental and economic aspects to the projects they are developing. In Vietnam, the environmental aspect focused on mangroves.

For instance, in 1994, the Vietnamese Red Cross initiated a “Mangrove Forest Project Implementation”. This project, financed by the Danish Red Cross, aimed at helping preventing disasters by restoring natural barriers and ecosystems and at reducing poverty for the inhabitants by creating income generating activities.

Mangrove

Mangrove forests have various benefits for people in tropical and subtropical coastline ecosystems. Indeed, the massive root systems of mangrove forests mitigate the effect of strong surge storms on low-lying coastal communities by decreasing wave and wind velocity. According to the United Nations, “mangroves can absorb 70-90% of the energy of a normal wave.” The forests also can store carbon dioxide and aid in erosion control.

Moreover, mangroves capture rich sediments in their roots and also attract a variety of species (shrimp, lobster, oysters) which can be harvested, sold and eaten by local populations.

So, since the start of the project, a “green wall” of nearly 9000 acres of mangrove has been replanted in about 166 local authorities. In Dai Hop local authority (North), the mangrove offers a profit between 4 and 5 billion Dongs (approximately between 146 100 and 183 000 euros). Not to mention that, according to statistics, the « green wall » will absorb at least 16 million tons of CO2, between now and 2015.

In 2010, another partnership was born between the Vietnamese, the Danish and the Japanese Red Crosses, in order to extend the mangrove nursery to ten other districts. At the same time, CARE France also launched a project of Disaster Risk Reduction which includes a mangrove tree nursery.

We can only be pleased about these initiatives which lead to the man-made reestablishment of natural resources. It certainly proves one thing: man can learn from his/her mistakes and it's not too late to action action and try to fix them.