Bio-diversity

Ly Nhan is one of the districts of Ha Nam Province, a province in the Red River Delta of Viet Nam. The district is situated in the low-lying area between the two rivers of Red River and Chau River. The communes by the riverside often have 5 to 6 months affected by the annually seasonal flood. With the special location of the area, the agricultural ecosystem has been established and developed with a unique agricultural structure of a diversity of plants and animals which suits well with the physical conditions and the application of traditional cultivation techniques of the low lying area and the annually seasonal flood. Ly Nhan has a rich plant genetic resources of the ecological zone of low-lying area in the Red River delta. Many species and varieties, such as bananas, citrus (orange, lemon, mandarin and grapefruit), and persimmon, are indigenous and of highly social and cultural values, and potential for commercial production. However, many of these species and varieties are in danger of extinction. The genetic resources of indigenous fruit tree species and varieties of Ly Nhan District have significantly declined in terms of both quantity and quality. Common threats to these genetic resources from farmlands are the replacement of these varieties by other ones which give short-term profit, but do not suit with the physical conditions of the area, leading to the reduction in areas and loss of traditional knowledge about the cultivation of these plants. There is also a strong lack of understanding and knowledge of the community on advanced techniques in pest management and propagation, and product protection post harvesting and difficulties in product transportation. There is also low awareness and understanding of community on the potential for commercial production, on conservation of these species and their agricultural ecosystem. Although the local authorities and relevant agency are strongly concerned about the issue, they have not developed and implemented any strategy or action plan to address it due to their limited capacity in terms of both technical and financial. The project will be carried out in Hoa Hau and Van Ly Communes, in Ly Nhan District, Ha Nam Province. It aims to contribute to conserving indigenous fruit tree species and varieties of Ly Nhan District through developing an on-farm conservation model, which encourages farmers to participate in the agrobiodiversity conservation. It will transfer technology on sustainable cultivation on low lying area, utilising indigenous fruit tree species and varieties in Ly Nhan District in a VAC (garden-pond-cage) model. The project expects to contribute to the potential macro GEF project on agrobiodiversity conservation in Vietnam, which has been developed by UNDP-GEF Vietnam, in providing the lessons leaned on an on-farm conservation model and community involvement in agrobiodiversity conservation in Vietnam.

Vietnam