Province cancels urban area project to protect mangrove forest

The cancelation was announced in a report sent from the Binh Thuan People’s Committee to the Party Civil Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

The mangrove forest in Phan Thiet, a tourist beach town, has grown back over the past 16 years after being partly destroyed for shrimp farming. The recovery has allowed several mangrove species to thrive. Some bird species have also called the forest home lately, enriching its ecosystem.

In 2019, Binh Thuan planned to demolish the forest to make room for a new urban area, which would entail a residential, commercial and service area spanning 12 ha and a park spanning 20 ha. However, last year, the provincial Standing Party Committee decided to suspend the project and request relevant units to re-orient it towards environmental protection.

In accordance to that plan, there would be no residential, commercial and tourism area in the area as originally planned. Instead, a multi-use cultural park would be formed, with the area’s ecosystem being the centerpiece.

The mangrove protection area would have walking paths and resting camps suspended by beams, which would prevent plants from being cut down and prevent the restriction of water flows, the province proposed.