Current Status Of Mangrove Forest And Solutions For Conservation And Development Of Mangrove Forests In Tien Hai Nature Reserve Thai Binh Province

1

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF FORESTRY

STUDENT THESIS

CURRENT STATUS OF MANGROVE FOREST

AND SOLUTIONS FOR CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

OF MANGROVE FORESTSIN TIEN HAI NATURE RESERVE

TIEN HAI DISTRICT, THAI BINH PROVINCE

Major: Advanced Curriculum in Natural Resources Management

Code: D850101

Faculty: Forest Resources & Environmental Management

Student: Pham Thu Thao Student ID: 1553090199

Class: K60 - Natural Resources Management Course: 2015 – 2019

Advanced Education Program

Developed in Collaboration with Colorado State University, USA

Supervisor: Dr. Ha Quang Anh

Ha Noi, October 2019

1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This thesis would not have been possible without the support and help from

my lecturers, friends, family and many people. I would like to express my special

appreciation of following people who supported me with my sincere gratitude:

First of all, I would like to express my sincere thanks to my advisor Dr. Ha

Quang Anh for his untiring and excellent guidance, valuable suggestions in my

dilemmas. His comments and advices have helped me to finish my thesis.

I am also thankful to Professor Pham Van Dien for his enthusiam in guiding

me to construct thesis proposal, and Dr. Duong Thi Bich Ngoc with her comments

and criticism on my proposal helped me to present better final thesis.

Further, I would like to thank the Wetland Management Board in Tien Hai

District for support and giving me the chance to study in Tien Hai Nature Reserve.

Besides, I also thank the local authorities and residents in three communes (Nam

Hung, Nam Phu, Nam Thinh) for providing valuable information and data of the area.

I wish to thank the Center of Laboratory and Practice of Vietnam National

University of Forestry for providing me with survey instrument (GPS Garmin) for

filed survey. I also thank officials of Thai Binh Department of Agriculture and Rural

Development for their enthusiastic help in the process collected data in field survey.

Last but not least, my everlasting gratitude goes to my parents who always

encouraged and supporting me all the time.

Hanoi, October 2019

Pham Thu Thao

- 2 -

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2

ABBREVIATION 4

LIST OF TABLES 5

LIST OF FIGURES 7

ABSTRACT 8

Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION 9

Chapter 2. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES 13

2.1. Goal 13

2.2. Objectives 13

Chapter 3. STUDY SITE AND METHODS 14

3.1. Study site 14

3.1.1. Boundary position 15

3.1.2. Natural conditions 15

3.1.3. Natural features 17

3.1.4. Socio-economic features 19

3.2. Data collection 20

3.2.1. Interview 20

3.2.2. Secondary data collection 22

Chapter 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 23

4.1. Current status of mangrove forest 23

4.1.1. Current status of mangrove forest in Tien Hai district 23

4.1.1.1. In general 23

4.1.1.2. Mangrove forest in Tien Hai Nature Reserve 24

- 3 -

4.1.1.3. Construction of mangroves 27

4.1.2. Management of the Tien Hai Nature Reserve 39

4.2. Impacts of current human activities and related policies/

regulations on the mangrove conservation and development 42

4.2.1. Economic activities 42

4.2.2. Related policies and regulations on the mangroves conservation

and development 43

4.2.2.1. Policies and regulations 43

4.2.2.2. Effects of policies and regulations 45

4.3. Solutions to preserve and develop mangrove forests 46

4.3.1. Planning for land-use 46

4.3.2. Forest allocation, lease; forest protection contract 47

4.3.3. Improving capacities of mangrove management 47

4.3.4. Addressing socio-economic issues in the mangrove forests 48

4.3.5. Enhancing environmental education for people 48

4.4. Discussions 49

4.4.1. In Vietnam 49

4.4.2. In Tien Hai district 50

Chapter 5. CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND FURTHER

STUDY 52

5.1. Conclusions 52

5.2. Limitations 53

5.3. Further study 54

PICTURE 55

REFERENCES 70

APENDICES 73

- 4 -

ABBREVIATIONS

A1 Globally threatened species

CRES Natural Resources and Environmental Studies

FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

GIS Geographic Information System

GPS Geographic Position System

IBA The International Bar Association

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature

IUCN Category IV Habitat/Species Management Area

MARD Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

MCD Centre for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development

MERD Mangrove Environment Research Division

NGO Non-Govermental Organization

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

- 5 -

LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1. The average monthly tidal water level in the estuary 16

Table 3.2. Sampling design in Tien Hai district 22

Table 4.1. Vascular plant composition in Tien Hai mangrove forest 26

Table 4.2. Forest land status in 3 communes of Nam Thinh, Nam Hung,

Nam Phu and Tien Hai district 27

Table 4.3. Area of forest types and forestry land according to use

purposes of Nam Hung commune 28

Table 4.4. Area of forest types and forestry land according to use

purposes of Nam Phu commune 31

Table 4.5. Area of forest types and forestry land according to use

purposes of Nam Thinh commune 33

Table 4.6. Forest cover of mangrove forest in Nam Phu, Nam Thinh and

Nam Hung commune 36

Table 4.7. Planted area of forest classified by tree species and age level

in Nam Hung commune 37

Table 4.8. Planted area of forest classified by tree species and age level

in Nam Phu commune 38

Table 4.9. Planted area of forest classified by tree species and age level

in Nam Thinh commune 39

Table 4.10. Types of functional zoning land conservation areas 42

Table 4.11. Population and labor statistics in Nam Hung, Nam Thinh 43

- 6 -

and Nam Phu communes

Table 4.12. Area of mangrove forest in Tien Hai Nature Reserve (2001-

2018) 51