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Posts Tagged ‘WWF’

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WWF, Vietnam to increase protection of Saola

In Uncategorized on January 12, 2011 at 7:11 am

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) announced on November 22 a financial aid package of US$213,773 for the central province of Thua Thien – Hue in order to protect the enigmatic Saola’s reserve.


The German government also plans to give US$2.1 million for the protection project for the Saola or Vu Quang ox (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis).

Pairs of Saola’s horns found in a residents house ( Photo: SGGP)

One of the goals of the project is to eliminate the use of traps and banned hunting dogs from protected areas.


Saola is a forest-dwelling bovine found only in the Annamite ranges of Vietnam and Laos. The species was first discovered in Vietnam in 1996 at a village in Ho, in the Thua Thien-Hue’s district of Huong Thuy.


Le Ngoc Tuan, director of the reserve in Thua Thien – Hue province, said his organization has carried out a survey from November 2006 to February 1997 in five districts. The survey showed that the rare mammal has appeared in 19 communes in five districts. These were A Luoi, Nam Dong, Huong Thuy, Huong Tra and Phong Dien. Officials also collected 27 pairs of horns and skulls.


In 1998, forest wardens and local residents manage to save a female pregnant Saola and in 1999, eight-kilogram Saola was discovered in the wood in the district of A Luoi. However, it died after eight days. Since then, scientists have not found any more Saolas in the wild, although many searches have been conducted.


The Saola’s rarity, distinctiveness and vulnerability make it one of the greatest priorities for conservation in the region. Despite little information available on the Saola, there is no doubt that its existence is severely threatened.


Since its discovery, it is believed to have rapidly declined in the face of ever-increasing human presence, although the actual size of the remaining population is still unknown. According to scientists and researchers on wildlife, Saola numbers had crashed to around 200 worldwide.


Mr. Tuan said that the Saola is at a high risk of being hunted and will panic if it sees hunting dogs in the woods. Moreover, many Saola’s are trapped and killed, since the illegal sales and hunting of the Saola are rampant in the province.


The WWF and Vietnam authorities have carried out a plan for the period between 2005-2010 in six central provinces (from Nghe An to Quang Nam). Forest wardens have eliminated all traps to catch the Saola. Three protection stations now protect the endanger species. However, Mr. Tuan complained that he still needs more personnel in order to perform his protection work of the Saola successfully.


From 2006-2008, the WWF and the Forest Protection Department of Thua Thien – Hue province, have run a four-year Green Corridor project, with funding from the World Bank – GEF, WWF, Thua Thien Hue PPC and SNV. The aim of this project is to strengthen the capacity of local stakeholders and conserve the landscape of the Green Corridor area.

The project is expected to save and facilitate the development of Sao La deer and several endemic animals that are in extreme danger of extinction, such as Truong Son Muntjac, the douc langur, the white-cheeked gibbon and other newly discovered species.

Two reserves in districts A Luoi and Nam Dong were established in April, 2010. The reserves have an area of 12,153 hectares.

Source: SGGP

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WWF to take responsibility for their mistake on Vietnam’s pangasius

In Uncategorized on December 16, 2010 at 9:29 am

A working session on resolving an issue that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has announced the Vietnamese catfish in the Red List between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and WWF will be held on December 8, said Mr. Pham Anh Tuan, deputy head of the General Department of Fisheries.


Mr. Pham Anh Tuan said, “The WWF will have to correct their announcement, if they haven’t got any evidence”.
 
He also went on to state, “The two parts ought to have cooperated with each other in the first place, in order to avoid any regrettable outcome, and that The International Fund for Nature has made a serious mistake,” Mr. Nguyen Viet Thang, chairperson of the Vietnam fish association.


“The Mekong giant catfish, Pangasianodon gigas, is a species of catfish, native to the Mekong basin in Southeast Asia. The Mekong’s giant catfish, which is 3.2m high and 300kg in weight currently, holds the Guinness Book of World Record’s position for the world’s largest freshwater fish. Vietnam’s pangasius is a usual catfish which is bred widely,” he explained.


Vietnam will send proposals to international organizations and WWF to make the information clearer.

Source: SGGP

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Time to find a second Earth, WWF says

In Uncategorized on October 14, 2010 at 2:26 pm

PARIS (AFP) – Carbon pollution and over-use of Earth’s natural resources have become so critical that, on current trends, we will need a second planet to meet our needs by 2030, the WWF said Wednesday.


In 2007, Earth’s 6.8 billion humans were living 50 percent beyond the planet’s threshold of sustainability, according to its report, issued ahead of a UN biodiversity conference.

(AFP file) Beijing during a sandstorm in March 2010

“Even with modest UN projections for population growth, consumption and climate change, by 2030 humanity will need the capacity of two Earths to absorb CO2 waste and keep up with natural resource consumption,” it warned.


If everyone used resources at the same rate per capita as the United States or the United Arab Emirates, four and a half planets would be needed, it said, highlighting the gap in “ecological footprint” between rich and poor.


The “Living Planet” report, the eighth in the series, is based on figures for 2007, the latest year for which figures are available.


It pointed to 71 countries that were running down their sources of freshwater at a worrying, unsustainable rate.


Nearly two-thirds of these countries experience “moderate to severe” water stress.


“This has profound implications for ecosystem health, food production and human wellbeing, and is likely to be exacerbated by climate change,” WWF said.


Signatories to the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are to meet in Nagoya, Japan, from October 18-29 to discuss ways of addressing Earth’s dramatic loss of species.


The UN named 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Under Target 7b of the Millennium Development Goals, UN members pledged to achieve by 2010 “a significant reduction” in the rate of wildlife loss.


Biologists say many species, especially mammals, birds and amphibians, are in headlong decline, their numbers ravaged by habitat loss, hunting or the likely impact of climate change.

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Source: SGGP

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Giants of the Mekong River under threat from dams: WWF

In Uncategorized on July 28, 2010 at 3:17 am

BANGKOK, July 28, 2010 (AFP) – One of the world’s biggest freshwater fish could be driven to extinction if plans to build hydropower dams on Southeast Asia’s longest river go ahead, wildlife organisation WWF warned Wednesday.


Numbers of Mekong giant catfish — believed to grow up to three metres (9.9 feet) long — would “collapse” if it was blocked from its spawning grounds on the river through China, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia, the group said.


WWF said a hydropower dam planned at Sayabouly Province in northern Laos, one of 11 planned on the lower Mekong, was a “threat to the survival” of the species’ wild population, which has already fallen 90 percent over 20 years.


The group also fears damming the river could irreversibly change its ecosystem, negatively affecting fisheries crucial to the livelihoods of over 60 million people in the region.


It warned there are at least 50 migratory species of fish in the Mekong — making up 40 to 70 percent of the catch from the river — that are highly vulnerable to the development of mainstream dams.


The giant catfish, which is thought to be the third largest freshwater fish on earth, migrates from Cambodia to spawn upriver in northern Thailand and Laos and the organisation fears damming the waterway could leave it stranded.


Roger Mollot, freshwater biologist for WWF Laos, said the giant catfish “simply will not be able to swim across a large barrier like a dam to reach its spawning grounds upstream”.


“This would lead to the collapse of the wild population of this iconic species,” he said.


The report said despite laws prohibiting catching the Mekong giant catfish in Cambodia, the population was already threatened because it is believed to bring good luck forever when eaten.

(L-R) Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong and Laos Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith pose for a photo during the 2nd Lower Mekong – US Ministerial Meeting in Hanoi on July 22, 2010. AFP

WWF said one quarter of the planet’s giant freshwater fish can be found in the 4,800 km (2,976 miles) river — more species of the huge creatures than in any other waterway on Earth.


Other mammoth fish in the Mekong include the giant freshwater stingray, which is thought to be the world’s biggest river fish and can grow to half the length of a bus, with a maximum weight of 600 kilos (1,320 pounds).


The wildlife group is calling for delays in approval for the dams under development while further study is undertaken on their potential impact.

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Source: SGGP

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WWF helps restore Mekong Delta habitats

In Uncategorized on November 19, 2008 at 3:38 pm

– A collaborative project between the WorldWide Fund for Nature (WWF) and soft drink maker Coca Cola has restored almost 2,000 ha of grasslands in the Mekong Delta, boosting fresh water conservation efforts, the company says.

In a press release issued on November 15, it said the collaboration has also succeeded in restoring a bird sanctuary in the delta, with the number of Sarus cranes visiting the Tram Chim Park increasing from 41 in 2005 to 126; and limited the expansion of Mimosa pigra, an invasive species.

The recovery of the natural environment in Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap province’s Tam Nong district serves as a key factor to improve water quality, restore underground water and regulate floods and drought, helping the company to mitigate their negative impacts over the wider plain as well as downstream areas of the delta.

The park stores freshwater during the flood season and releases it slowly as floodwaters recede, preventing saline intrusion in downstream areas and diminishing negative effects of climate change, said the press release.

With the project’s support, the Tram Chim National Park has secured 200,000 USD from the provincial government for infrastructure development, including building spillways to improve the water flow regime.

A management statute for Tram Chim National Park , which was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and is pending final ratification by the Dong Thap People’s Committee, has been developed.

The statute governs all aspects of park administration and operation. It spotlights the fact that water resources should be managed in accordance with the particular eco-system, and that local residents should be given favourable conditions to participate in using and managing the park’s natural resources sustainably.

The project has enhanced the park’s high biodiversity value which supports 130 native plant species, 232 species of birds, of which 16 are on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and Vietnam Red Data Book; and approximately 150 types of freshwater fish, making up 33 percent of the total freshwater fish species found in the Mekong Delta.

Launched in April 2008, the three-year project targets the recovery of natural wetlands of the Plain of Reeds (Dong Thap Muoi) at the Tram Chim National Park .

With an annual expenditure of 250,000 USD, the 3-year project is part of the global water conservation campaign launched by WWF and Coca-Cola in July 2007 with a total funding of 20 million USD.

Tram Chim National Park holds the largest of the last natural remnants of The Plain of Reeds. Recently the deterioration of water quality and reduction of biodiversity as well as depletion of natural resources of Tram Chim Park caused by human activities has reached alarming levels.

“The risk of degradation of habitats can lead to the extinction of species such as the Sarus crane,” the WWF said in the press release.

The natural wetlands of Tram Chim provide opportunities for adaptation to climate change in terms of carbon sequestration, micro-climate regulation, water supply for irrigation and domestic use, and livelihoods for local people.

The park is now surrounded by 42,000 local people who reside in the buffer zone and 14 percent of them are living in poverty. With the support provided by the project, Tram Chim National Park is going to organise local households into User Groups who will join using natural resources in a move reasonable and sustainable manner, the WWF said.-

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WWF helps restore Mekong Delta habitats

In Uncategorized on November 19, 2008 at 2:38 pm







Drink up: The Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap’s Tam Nong District. — VNS Photo Ngoc Hai

HCM CITY — A collaborative project between the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and soft drink maker Coca Cola has restored almost 2,000ha of grasslands in the Mekong Delta, boosting fresh water conservation efforts, the company says.


In a press release issued last Saturday, it says the collaboration has also succeeded in restoring a bird sanctuary in the detla, with the number of Sarus cranes visiting the Tram Chim Park increasing from 41 in 2005 to 126; and limited the expansion of Mimosa pigra, an invasive species.


The recovery of the natural environment in Tram Chim National Park in Dong Thap Province’s Tam Nong District serves as a key factor to improve water quality, restore underground water and regulate floods and drought, helping the company to mitigate their negative impacts over the wider plain as well as downstream areas of the delta.


The park stores freshwater during the flood season and releases it slowly as floodwaters recede, preventing saline intrusion in downstream areas and diminishing negative effects of climate change, says the press release.


With the project’s support, the Tram Chim National Park has secured US$200,000 from the provincial government for infrastructure development, including building spillways to improve the water flow regime.


A management statute for Tram Chim National Park, which was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and is pending final ratification by the Dong Thap People’s Committee, has been developed.


The statute governs all aspects of park administration and operation. It spotlights the fact that water resources should be managed in accordance with the particular ecosystem, and that local residents should be given favorable conditions to participate in using and managing the park’s natural resources sustainably.


The project has enhanced the park’s high biodiversity value which supports 130 native plant species; 232 species of birds, of which 16 are on the International Unicon for Conservation of Nature’s Red List and Viet Nam Red Data Book; and approximately 150 types of freshwater fish, making up 33 per cent of the total freshwater fish species found in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.


Launched in April 2008, the three-year project targets the recovery of natural wetlands of the Plain of Reeds (Dong Thap Muoi) at the Tram Chim National Park project.


The project has an annual expenditure of $250,000. The 3-year project is part of the global water conservation campaign launched by WWF and Coca-Cola in July 2007 with total funding of $20 million.


Tram Chim National Park holds the largest of the last natural remnants of The Plain of Reeds. Recently the deterioration of water quality and reduction of biodiversity as well as depletion of natural resources of Tram Chim Park caused by human activities had reached alarming levels.


“The risk of degradation of habitats can lead to the extinction of species such as the Sarus crane,” the WWF said in the press release.


“The project aims to effectively manage ecological conditions, control invasive species, advocate for environmental policy change, and work with local communities to protect the surrounding environment,” it added.


The natural wetlands of Tram Chim provide opportunities for adaptation to climate change in terms of carbon sequestration, micro-climate regulation, water supply for irrigation and domestic use, and livelihoods.


The park is now surrounded by 42,000 local people who reside in the buffer zone and 14 per cent of them are living in poverty. With the support provided by the project, Tram Chim National Park is going to organise local households into User Groups who will join using natural resources in a more reasonable and sustainable manner, the WWF said. —