Forum on protecting Mekong Delta opens in Can Tho

An open-ended forum on preserving nature and local culture in the Mekong Delta while allowing sustainable development in the region started up in Can Tho City Friday.

At the first seminar, Professor Doan Canh of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Tropical Biology, warned that the region’s renowned diversity was threatened by excessive exploitation without regard for the consequences. He said it was time to shift from exploitation for development to a preservation strategy for development. The forum’s organizers are the Steering Board for the Southwestern Region, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program, Can Tho University and the World Wildlife Fund. They will use the forum to build databases of biodiversity and traditional cultures in the Mekong Delta, and seek funding for developing creative ideas in the region’s national parks, nature reserves and biosphere reserves.