Mobilize the participation of the people to climate change adaptation

GLX From the point of view that sustainable coastal ecosystem protection can only be done under the consensus, support and active participation of rural people who are living adjacently to the rehabilitated forests and being the first and direct beneficiaries of coastal ecosystems, those are considered as custodians of ecosystems. The project on adaptation to climate change through biodiversity promotion in Bac Lieu province has been focusing on further mobilizing people to protect the environment toward adaptation to climate change.   

Students actively participate in the program "Sunday volunteers for clean and green environment" at Dien Hai secondary school in Dien Hai commune, Dong Hai district (Bac Lieu)

 

Ecosystem protection and development are responsibilities of not only the people who live directly in this area but also the civil society organizations with a key role in sense of a cause of environmental decrease. The motto of the project is sustainable use of natural resources, allowing to use natural resources but also facilitating to rehabilitate natural resources and it brings real effects only when there is individual and collective attempts and efforts.

 

In other words, people’s behavior and awareness of limited mangrove resources as well as daily and hourly impact of climate change to their living environment should be firstly changed to mobilize them in the adaptation to climate change. Recognizing the natural resource decrease and exhaustion and that’s more than environment can stand providing regular livelihood sources, people should think about the needs to protect and live in harmony with nature for livelihood protection.

 

In the final review held in Ho Chi Minh City recently, the project summary report confirmed that one of the first phase successes of the project on adaptation to Climate Change through biodiversity promotion in Bac Lieu province was to lay a foundation for community participation commitments in ecosystem protection and development. With the ideas of giving community environmental education, introducing in schools the environment, biodiversity and climate change topics and raising awareness of the masses, the project has invited participation of various civil society classes as social organizations, students, businesses, households ... shown its positive role and responsibility for coastal environment protection and sustainable use in increasing environmental pressure and threat.

 

Not stopping in campaigns, a series of project models have been deployed to assist people in living in harmony with nature, using natural resources for both their livelihoods and the supports for further ecosystem protection and development, such as the supporting models of rice production in line with climate change, of environmentally friendly shrimp cultivation in protection area under the methods of forest and shrimp coexistence reducing pressure on natural environment ....

 

Within three recent years, with active participation of local population in the project a green belt of mangroves for coastal protection, residential habitat has been restored and developed covering nearly 100% of the provincial coast with significantly increased flora and fauna in both quantity and quality. On this basis, local people continue to participate in forest rehabilitation projects  enhancing the position of local residents in the new ecological niches.

 

In phase II of the project, environmental education and people mobilization in in the project activities will be further promoted for bringing more general understanding of adaptation to climate change, and more motivation inside every citizen in environmental protection./.

Minh Trung – CTV