Mangroves and Ecosystem-Based Coastal Protection in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

Abstract

Development and the unsustainable use of natural resources in the coastal zone of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam, as well as erosion are threatening the protection function of the mangrove forests which protect the land behind the dyke from flooding and storms and provide co-benefits and livelihood for people in the coastal zone. These threats will be exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. Tidal flats and mangrove forests are an energy conversion system that provides ecosystem-based coastal protection. In sites where the mangrove belt has been destroyed and the tidal flat eroded, restoration of the tidal flats is a precondition for mangrove rehabilitation. Permeable bamboo fences, arranged in a T-shape, are effective for reducing erosion, stimulating sedimentation and thereby restoring tidal flats and re-creating conditions for mangrove regeneration. This cost-effective approach is only feasible within specific boundary conditions. Mangroves need to be protected from future anthropogenic destruction. This can best be achieved though co-management with the local people.