Recently, a kick-off conference on “Enhancing Resilience through Strengthening Natural Resources Management and Sustaining Community Livelihoods” was organized in Cat Ba Island.
Cat Ba Archipelago locates in the Northeastern teritorial water of Vietnam, consisting of 366 islands with 620 high grade species of fauna and flora, 32 animal species, 69 bird species and 20 amphibian reptile species.
Acknowledging that Cat Ba Archipelago has been facing with the depletion of eco-systems as well as the loss of land and livelihoods of thousands of poor households, the Government of Sweden decided to provide support to this “Enhancing Resilience through Strengthening Natural Resources Management and Sustaining Community Livelihoods” project implemented jointly by two partners, a local NGO – a Center for Marinelife Conservation and Community Development (MCD) Vietnam and the System Ecology Department, The Stockholm University (SU-DSE).
Under this project, the SU-DSE and MDC will assist the local authorities and communities to use the ecological risk assessment (ERA) tool for developing their sustainable livelihood development strategy in harmonization with natural resource management.
Attended the kick-off, Dr. Nguyen Van Thanh, Secretary of Hai Phong City Communist Party said “Haiphong is really a special seaport city with a biosphere reserve. The biosphere reserve makes a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the city.
Hence, preservation, conservation and development of potentials and bio-diversity advantages of the biosphere reserve are our immediate and prioritized actions”. He stressed that Hai Phong has been putting all its resources to build Cat Ba Archipelago Biosphere Reserve towards a “Sustainable Development Model”. Therefore, “Cat Ba Biosphere Reserve – Enhancing Resilience through Strengthening Natural Resources Management and Sustaining Community Livelihoods” project is expected to make the local authorities and its people to become the owners of the project.
To make a greater impact, the project will join forces with other local and international initiatives. A clear and concrete action as a proof for coordinating the mutual efforts was to kick-off the Biosphere Reserves for Environmental and Economic Security (BREES) – A Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Program in Asia & the Pacific funded by UNESCO at the same event.
