Projet de recherche BL/03/VT45 (Action de recherche BL)
Project summary/objectives :
Vietnam is one of the five countries most severely affected by climate change. Climate change has been affecting all aspects of economic, social and environmental life. The trade-off between nature conservation and development is a difficult choice due to the complex relationship between humans and nature.
The Nui Chua ‘mangrove’ Biosphere Reserve (MAB) in Ninh Thuan province, includes forests, seas, and semi-deserts to Vietnam's unique dry forest ecosystem in SE- Asia and is part of the worldwide UNESCO MAB network. It is the target of the research, as a model for other mangrove Biosphere Reserves. The indigenous communities including the Raglai community living in the buffer zone of the MAB. They have most impact on forest resources in the Biosphere Reserve. Next to mechanisms and policies to restore, protect and develop forests, it is about creating incentives to people to actively protect and develop forests associated with poverty reduction. Models will be build for the protection and development of biodiversity through improving sustainable livelihoods to adapt to climate change. This proposal is in line with the Institute of Ecology and Works Protections’ (WIP) main mission to research and apply new techniques to restore mangroves and ecosystems in protected areas, biosphere reserves, and national parks. Mangrove restoration is conceived as a multi-dimensional improvement of the ecological and social components of a system.
It will focus on transdisciplinary approaches, capacity building, and participatory research to address the vulnerability of communities and ecosystems. Along with the participation of the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) and the Management Board of Nui Chua National Park (NCNP), the local people's knowledge in preserving and restoring mangrove forests will be improved; VUB and ULB will support WIP's in socio-ecological assessment as well as sustainability and decision-making to build the best results.
-The 1st participatory research part includes the sustainability assessment of eco-system services. -The 2ndpart includes the building of 3 models (mangrove restora-tion model, edible and medicinal mushroom growth livelihood development model, and an aquaculture model.
