[ Background index ]

Other protected area categories

A number of other protected area categories exist in Vietnam. These comprise Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites, and Man and the Biosphere Reserves.

Ramsar Sites

Vietnam became a contracting party to the Convention on Wetlands, commonly known as the Ramsar Convention, on 20 January 1989. The convention provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 123 contracting parties to the convention, with 1,060 wetland sites, totaling 80.6 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance. On 20 September 1988, the Ramsar Convention Bureau designated Xuan Thuy as Vietnam's first Ramsar Site. However, in the 11 years since Vietnam became a contracting party, progress in implementing the convention has been slow and Xuan Thuy remains Vietnam's only Ramsar Site. Proposals for additional sites have been prepared but it remains unclear when, or if, new sites will be formally designated. Proposed Ramsar Sites include Tram Chim National Park, an area supporting some of the last remaining areas of seasonally inundated grasslands in the Mekong Delta; Thai Thuy proposed nature reserve, which supports intertidal flats and mangroves in the Red River Delta; the wetlands of Cat Tien National Park; and Tam Giang-Cau Hai proposed marine protected area.

World Heritage Sites

The objective of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage (popularly known as the World Heritage Convention) is to conserve cultural and natural sites selected by the statutory body of the convention, the World Heritage Committee. This international agreement was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. The convention and the World Heritage Committee work to ensure that the outstanding values of listed sites are preserved for all humanity, and to ensure their protection through closer cooperation among nations. The Vietnamese National Assembly has ratified the convention, and the government has deposited its acceptance. Currently there are four World Heritage Sites in Vietnam: Ha Long bay, the complex of Hue monuments, Hoi An ancient town and My Son sanctuary. In addition, a proposal has been prepared for submission to the World Heritage Committee to inscribe the Phong Nha-Ke Bang limestone area as a World Heritage Site.

Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Reserves

The mangroves of Can Gio, in Ho Chi Minh City, were designated as Vietnam's first Man and the Biosphere Reserve on 21 January 2000. Man and the Biosphere Reserves are designated as part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme. The purpose of Man and the Biosphere Reserves is the conservation of ecosystems and the species they contain. In addition, Man and the Biosphere Reserves must be integrated into their social, economic and cultural environment, and, for this purpose, local populations should be involved as much as possible in their conservation and management.

[ Background index | Next ]