The number of endangered species at the U Minh Thuong National Park in the Mekong delta province of Kien Giang has grown considerably thanks to the province’s biosphere conservation project.

The 3 million USD project sponsored by the Australian International Development Agency (AusAID) and the German Organisation for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) was started in July 2008 and will run through December 2010.

It aims to help Kien Giang manage and develop its natural resources including mangrove forests and other protected areas.

Over the last two years the project has helped local cadres to put together new initiatives and has provided them with knowledge on climate change, forestry, biodiversity, water resources management, fire prevention and how to regenerate mangrove forests, said the Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Lam Hoang Sa.

On June 10, representatives from AusAID and GTZ along with the Australian and German embassies in Hanoi joined the provincial authorities in a fact-finding tour to examine the project’s progress and the regeneration of dwindling forests, said GTZ.

The project in Kien Giang is a successful example of cooperation between Kien Giang, AusAID and Germany , said the GTZ’s chief representative in Vietnam , Dr Guenter Riethmacher.

Apart from the U Minh Thuong National Park, the project also covers other UNESCO-recognised biosphere reserves in Kien Giang including the Phu Quoc National Park and the Kien Luong-Ho Chong coastal region./.