Action plan for the multi-level conservation of forest wetlands in the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong River Delta in Vietnam can be considered as a large tropical wetland, in which two typical eco-forest wetlands can be distinguished: the inland Melaleuca forest wetlands and the coastal mangrove forest wetlands. Their main functions are the provision of forest commodities, the regulation of the water balance and biodiversity conservation. However as elsewhere under human pressure their existence is under the threat of forest fires and deforestation. Their protection requires the implementation of a multi-level national or sub-national planning policy. This paper elaborates on a few processes and offers a number of suggestions for a sustainable policy action plan, which fits the objectives at national, regional and local level.