the U Minh peatland stores a significant amount of carbon. It also has a large area of
Melaleuca forest, which is capable of absorbing a significant amount of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere. A large area in U Minh peat-swamp, including U Minh
Thuong and U Minh Ha, is now established as national parks for preserving peatland
resources, including ecosystems and biodiversity. Both the U Minh Thuong and U
Minh Ha peatlands are assessed to have a diversity of wetland ecosystems and high
biodiversity of plant and animal species that need to be preserved in Vietnam.
Few small peatland areas scattering in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle are being
exploited for fertilizer production, although the provincial government has decided
to stop exploitation in new areas.
Inappropriate hydrological management in U Minh peatlands has resulted in quite
serious forest fires and peat fires in previous years, especially forest fires in 2002.
Forest fires in peatlands seriously damage not only peat-swamp forest ecosystems
but also habitats and animals in both national parks. Integrated water and fire
management applied effectively have ceased forest fires in U Minh Thuong National
Park since 2009. Meanwhile, U Minh Ha National Park still faces the risks of forest
fires and peatland oxidation due to adequate method of water retention in the dry
season.
Nature conservation in the U Minh peat-swamp has faced a conflict of interest
with local communities who have lived in the peatland area for a long time. The
demand for agricultural production land and peatland resources as important sources
of their livelihoods has been affected after nature reserves establishment.
The application of integrated fire and water management, local community-based
natural resource management, and afforestation resulted in positive effects on the
rehabilitation of U Minh peatland ecosystems and on the socio-economic development for the local community in recent years.
Keywords Mekong river delta · U Minh Thuong · U Minh Ha · Peatlands
ecosystems · Melaleuca
29.1 Introduction
The peatland area in Vietnam is quite small compared to that in other countries in
Southeast Asia. Peatlands were found in many isolated sites sparsely throughout the
country, mainly in deltas, coastal deltas, and some valleys in the highlands of the
Southeast (VEA 2013; Quoi 2014b).
According to Moormann (1960), CTU (1986), Nhan et al. (1996), Quoi (2014b),
most of the peatland areas in the central and northern regions of Vietnam are quite
small, while some larger peat-swamps were found in the Mekong River Delta
(Moormann 1960; STC 1990; Nhan 1996; Quoi 2014b). The two largest areas of
peatlands concentrate in the U Minh region (Fig. 29.1). The remaining smaller ones
distribute sparsely at some sites in the delta.
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Q. P. Le and T. X. Le
Melaleuca forest, which is capable of absorbing a significant amount of carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere. A large area in U Minh peat-swamp, including U Minh
Thuong and U Minh Ha, is now established as national parks for preserving peatland
resources, including ecosystems and biodiversity. Both the U Minh Thuong and U
Minh Ha peatlands are assessed to have a diversity of wetland ecosystems and high
biodiversity of plant and animal species that need to be preserved in Vietnam.
Few small peatland areas scattering in the Long Xuyen Quadrangle are being
exploited for fertilizer production, although the provincial government has decided
to stop exploitation in new areas.
Inappropriate hydrological management in U Minh peatlands has resulted in quite
serious forest fires and peat fires in previous years, especially forest fires in 2002.
Forest fires in peatlands seriously damage not only peat-swamp forest ecosystems
but also habitats and animals in both national parks. Integrated water and fire
management applied effectively have ceased forest fires in U Minh Thuong National
Park since 2009. Meanwhile, U Minh Ha National Park still faces the risks of forest
fires and peatland oxidation due to adequate method of water retention in the dry
season.
Nature conservation in the U Minh peat-swamp has faced a conflict of interest
with local communities who have lived in the peatland area for a long time. The
demand for agricultural production land and peatland resources as important sources
of their livelihoods has been affected after nature reserves establishment.
The application of integrated fire and water management, local community-based
natural resource management, and afforestation resulted in positive effects on the
rehabilitation of U Minh peatland ecosystems and on the socio-economic development for the local community in recent years.
Keywords Mekong river delta · U Minh Thuong · U Minh Ha · Peatlands
ecosystems · Melaleuca
29.1 Introduction
The peatland area in Vietnam is quite small compared to that in other countries in
Southeast Asia. Peatlands were found in many isolated sites sparsely throughout the
country, mainly in deltas, coastal deltas, and some valleys in the highlands of the
Southeast (VEA 2013; Quoi 2014b).
According to Moormann (1960), CTU (1986), Nhan et al. (1996), Quoi (2014b),
most of the peatland areas in the central and northern regions of Vietnam are quite
small, while some larger peat-swamps were found in the Mekong River Delta
(Moormann 1960; STC 1990; Nhan 1996; Quoi 2014b). The two largest areas of
peatlands concentrate in the U Minh region (Fig. 29.1). The remaining smaller ones
distribute sparsely at some sites in the delta.
776
Q. P. Le and T. X. Le