TDA-IME Project Final Report June, 2013 conclusion is that this would contribute to both biodiversity conservation and fisheries production, while also giving a greater measure of protection (or at least habitat availability) to endangered migratory species. Involving Local Communities in Mangrove Management The many services that mangrove forests in Indochina provide include their crucial role as ‘bio-shields’ for the protection of people and their assets from physical and climatic impacts, including erosion, storms and flooding. The often narrow belt of mangroves which protects the coast from these forces must also be safeguarded against human threats (figure 3). But this cannot be achieved by looking at the mangrove belt in isolation, i.e. a sectoral approach under the jurisdiction of a single authority. Protection must be part of an integrated coastal management (ICM) approach which involves all stakeholders in a participatory process; and which includes adaptation measures to climate change. Furthermore, all the measures must be site specific and appropriate. 72 FIGURE 3: The coastal zone of Soc Trang, southern Viet Nam. The photograph shows (left) mudflats; and (center) a narrow mangrove belt (around 200 m wide), with severely eroded areas in the foreground and beyond; (right) a sea dyke with sluice gates and aquaculture ponds. (Photo credit: K. Schmitt.) However, development and the unsustainable use of natural resources are threatening the protection function of the mangrove forest belt. This situation is exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, particularly the increased intensity and frequency of storms, floods and by rising sea levels. In order for mangrove forests to fulfill their protection function they must be protected from human impacts such as destructive fishing methods, logging and encroachment. Mangrove protection is often the role of the national Forest Department and its local agencies. However, these authorities may lack the man-power or the financial resources to do this in an effective way. In Viet Nam, mangrove protection through individual ownership of
Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis of Indochina Mangrove Ecosystems
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