Distribution and Status of Peatlands in Vietnam

In Vietnam, forest lands cover about 12.3 million ha, of which about 10 million ha are natural forests and about 2.2 million ha are other forest types. In the Mekong Delta, peat lands dominate and peat swamp Melaleuca forests occur over about 12,000 ha. Vietnam has a comparatively small area of peatlands compared to its regional neighbours. They are found in many parts of Vietnam, but occur mainly in the Lower Mekong Delta (in the U Minh area being located in Ca Mau and Kien Giang provinces) and are estimated to cover about 24,000ha. A large area of peatlands here has been designated as protected areas as the U Minh Thuong and U Minh Ha National Parks

Table 1:        Recorded Peatlands in Vietnam

Peat swamp forests play a critical role in the economy and ecology of the Mekong Delta, particularly in providing timber and non-timber forest products and helping in flood control. However, the area has been affected by a number of land use impacts. In Vietnam, peatland areas have declined through human activities, particularly by drainage for agriculture and forestry among others. A measurable area of peatlands in the Lower Mekong Delta and central areas of Vietnam have been exploited for uses such as for fuel and as fertilizer. These activities have resulted in many problems not only in the peatlands but in surrounding areas.