Dear Tri, and colleagues,
Unfortunately Tri does not give us sufficient data to evaluate the costs and benefits of the proposed development. Does the complex cover all 200ha and is this the total area of mangrove or mangrove plus seagrass. He states that the mangrove will be closed by a dyke system which will result in total loss of the mangroves unless periodic drying of the area is permitted on a daily basis. He goes on to state that the mangrove will be degraded when in reality it will be lost.
To suggest that development and environment are not compatible and that Viet Nam should develop at the expense of the environment is both short-sighted and fallacious. Degradation of the environment and rural poverty are clearly linked and unless the costs and behefits to the local community of this development have been adequately evaluated the project is likely, in its present form to increase poverty rather than alleviate it.
Perhaps the developers should be encouraged to build their complex inside the mangrove as has been done successfully in Trat Province at the resort in which we held the regional working group on Mangroves in 2004.
|