The Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on April 13 signed an agreement with AusAID of Australia and GTZ of Germany to continue a joint project on the conservation of key biosphere zones.

The project is to enter its second phase in January, 2011 with a budget of 5 million Euros for a five-year period to establish a system of protective forests, especially mangrove forests, for better conservation.

The project also aims to increase public education in the use of water resources and land in provinces southwest of the Mekong Delta in order to cope with climate change. It also helps local authorities to confront risks due to infrastructure construction and climate change in three key areas of the provincial biosphere zone.

The managerial board members will be equipped with know-how on managing forest fires and bio-diversity as well as five measures to boost the incomes of women and protect wildlife species.

With their new knowledge and skills, the managerial board will play a stronger role in managing the biosphere zone, protecting bio-diversity and coping with climate change.

The project’s first phase—from August 2008 to December this year--has involved conducting surveys on species and natural resources along a 200 km stretch of coast.

The project has also increased public awareness on gas emissions, and decreased the extent of degradation and felling of trees by locals./.