Participation of Buddhist Community in mangrove conservation and development in Loi Quan Island, Tien Giang Province

Mangroves in the coastal areas of Loi Quan Island, Lien Giang Province are mainly distributed in Phu Dong and Phu Tan communes, Tan Phu Dong District, Lien Giang Province. During the shrimp farming boom in the Mekong River Delta over the last several years, many mangroves were destroyed, resulting in coastal erosion, and saline water intrusion, which threatens the lives and livelihoods of many people. Local households had to leave their houses where they used to practice aquaculture due to rapid erosion and flooding. However, under the recent pressures from economic development, mangroves continued to be cut down for shrimp farming. In this respect, it was urgent to raise awareness of local people about the importance of mangrove ecosystems and for a longer goal of restoring, conserving and developing mangrove forests.

• The project applied a new approach in a conservation project, which was the  involvement of religious communities. Thirteen Buddhist lectures delivered by the pagoda during the project cycle, together with other communication activities, influenced Buddhist communities, helping to raise the awareness of local people about the importance of mangroves and environmental protection.

• A mangrove  planting event was organized by PTP aimed at raising awareness of the Buddhist communities on mangrove conservation, in which the monk appealed to all the participants to join efforts to conserve nature though practical action, stating each person should plant at least one mangrove . Buddhists were willing to contribute their resources (both financially and in­ kind) to this pagoda event, indicating their commitment towards the protection and restoration of mangroves on the island. This event was widely covered by 6 media organizations  from the province.

• A small library with books on Buddhism and environment have been widely used by the Buddhists.

• A drawing competition on mangrove conservation received excellent responses, with more than 600 entries from pupils, as well as much attention by local newspapers, which featured news on the event. 

• This communication model was highly recommended for replication in other areas of the country at final SGF workshop on 23 July 2013.

• Even though Sonneratia were planted, however, most of the mangroves were washed away due to strong sea waves attributed to the lack of prior experience in mangrove planting. Trees were not planted in the right season and Sonneratia was also not a suitable species for a sandy flat in Tan Phu Dong District. How and where to plant mangroves was a good lesson learned from the Buddhist communities project. As an education and outreach exercise, the planting event was successful because the Buddhist group stated that they would replant the mangroves at their own cost, during the appropriate season.

• This was the first project which integrated religion into  mangrove conservation in the province. Since religion is a very sensitive issue in Vietnam, there were challenges in obtaining permission from local authorities to implement the project. These challenges could have been avoided if the pagoda had previously informed and reported to local authorities about the project activities.

• After the project's completion, it would be beneficial if the pagoda continued to research more useful materials to enrich knowledge about the relation between the environment and Buddhism.