United Nations
UNEP/GEF South China Sea
Global Environment
Environment Programme
Project
Facility

UNEP/GEF/SCS/RWG-CR.8/6-NH
Date: 23rd May 2007

Original: English
Eighth Meeting of the Regional Working Group
for the Coral Reef Sub-component of the UNEP/GEF Project:
"Reversing Environmental Degradation Trends
in the South China Sea and Gulf of Thailand"

Phu Quoc, Vietnam, 4th ­ 7th June 2007













REPORT OF THE PROGRESS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS
TO DATE OF NINH HAI DEMONSTRATION SITE*



* The report is prepared by Mr. Nguyen Van Long, Viet Nam Focal Point for Coral Reefs.

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UNEP/GEF/SCS/RWG-CR.8/6-NH
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Although the Ninh Hai coral reef demo site project has not been signed yet, some activities have been
implemented by the local government (Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Sub
department of fishery protection (Sub DOFP), mainly focused on improving public awareness,
strengthening capacity for local community in coral reef conservation, coral reef monitoring with local
volunteer participation, and establishment of GIS Database for management purposes.
1. Continued to maintain the two small community-based sanctuaries of coral reefs at Hang Rai ­
Thai An Village and Mui Do ­ Tan Hiep Village established since 2003 with financial support from
provincial government.
2. DOST organized the beach sanitation campaigns in Thai An village ­ Vinh Hai commune for
increasing community awareness of importance of environmental sanitation in August 2006.
Brochures in importance of coral reef and how to protect coral reefs were disseminated to local
communities.
3. Two projects funded by the provincial budget has been conducted since 2006 regarding to
monitoring of coral reef resources in Ninh Hai waters (Project 1) and upgrading GIS database for
management purposes (Project 2). Aims and implemented activities of these projects may be
summarized below:
Project 1: Monitoring of coral reefs in Ninh Hai waters. The aims of this project are to develop a
community-based monitoring team and conduct annual monitoring activities at 10 permanent sites of
coral reefs established since 2002 in Ninh Hai waters with involvement of scientists from Institute of
Oceanography and community-based monitoring team.
In 2006, 14 local volunteers from Vinh Hai and Thanh Hai Communes, Nui Chua National Park had
been trained on Reefcheck methodology. These volunteers will form community-based monitoring
team of coral reefs in Ninh Hai.
Project 2: Upgrading and developing GIS database on coastal resources and environment in Ninh
Hai waters, Ninh Thuan Province. The aims of this project are to upgrade and develop the GIS-
database and software which can be used for management purposes through personal computer to
client server one. Most of activities conducted in 2006 are gathering the existing data on
environmental quality, biodiversity, socio-economy, conservation in coastal waters of Ninh Thuan,
developing base maps and designing frame of GIS database.
4. Within the framework of the project titled "Strengthening capacity for Local Communities in Coral
Reefs Conservation in Vinh Hai and Thanh Hai Commune, Ninh Hai District" coordinated by DOST,
notable results has been achieved as followings:
· Holding the workshop on "assessing and seeking new solutions for coral reefs protection
activities" at Vinh Hai and Thanh Hai communes, Ninh Hai District from 20 - 21 December
2005.
· Organizing training program for teachers, school children, outside fishermen on coral reef
conservation at Thanh Hai & Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province.
· Establishing floating signal buoys system at Hang Rai coral reef protection Station (6 buoys at
six sites) ­ Vinh Hai Commune and My Hiep coral reef protection Station (4 buoys at for sites)
- Thanh Hai Commune on 12 ­ 13 May 2006. These easily-visual buoys fixed at the
protection coral reef areas supported the patrol team to detect illegal fishing activities within
protection area.
· DOTS and Sub DOFP organized a tour for Ninh Hai coral reef protection volunteers to Ran
Trao coral reef protection Area (Khanh Hoa Province) for exchanging experiments and
learning the coral reefs management model and the coral growing skills on 19 ­ 20 March
2006.
· DOST invited experts of Nha Trang Bay MPA giving lectures on eco-tourism and seaweed
cultivation with low capacity to local people. The training courses was organized in the two
communes of Vinh Hai and Thanh Hai, Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province from 6 ­ 9 June
2006. The program included four courses with the participation of more than one hundred
participants from related agencies, associations, local leaders and people and the volunteers.
Local people were trained as tourist guides for future tourism development conjunction with
conserving marine resources. They were provided seaweed cultivating skills in coastal area.
The training course's aims are to reduce pressure of tourism on marine resources and help
local people earn more income in order to improve their livings from alternative jobs.

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