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ePaper created 2015-12-01, 11:32:17 | version 1.43.00
38 akzente 2/15 stretches more than 50 metres into the flat al- luvial land beyond the mangrove forest. Here, too, individual mangroves can be found growing naturally. At one time, the sea reached as far as the walkway. Now a sand- bank is visible around 200 metres further out. The sea only comes up as far as the man- grove forest at very high tides or during se- vere storms. ‘Today, we really understand what it means for all of us to look after the forest. That’s why we do the work ourselves,’ says Thach Soal, who, like many farmers in the region, grows onions and chilli peppers. He is the spokesman for a group, set up with GIZ support, that coordinates management of the mangrove forests. The group is open to all villagers. How- ever, anyone interested in becoming a mem- ber must undertake to attend regular meet- ings and abide by regulations governing man- grove conservation. These rules include only entering the mangrove forests at low tide, when the water is clearer. This reduces the risk of treading on seedlings or small creatures. Around one third of the village’s 3,500 inhab- itants have now joined the group. If members find someone cutting wood in the mangrove forest, Thach Soal explains, they tell him he is breaking the law. In serious cases they may also call in the authorities. Thach Soal even got together with other villagers to buy man- grove seedlings out of their own money; these are now being planted in bare patches of for- est. ‘Because the day there is no more forest here,’ he says, ‘our village will die.’ Strong roots, increased optimism The results of the intervention are tangible: now knee-high, the bamboo walkway was over 20 centimetres higher at the start, says Thach Soal. ‘The mud brought ashore by the sea stays where it is washed up. The mangrove roots hold onto the soil – and gradually the ground rises.’ In two or three years he hopes to extend the walkway by several hundred metres, so it reaches out across the reclaimed land to the sea. By then he hopes the man- grove forest will have become more extensive. Today there is a great deal of activity in the fields that border the other side of the forest. It is almost time for the onion harvest. Diesel generators rattle into action. All over the fields farmers are busy watering neat rows of crops. In the field in front of Duong Mienh’s house it is the same scene. Duong Mienh is another member of the mangrove conservation group. He has turned his veranda into a kind of meeting place. Once a month, group members meet here to share their experiences and discuss plans for the fu- ture. GIZ helps villagers to collaborate with local authorities on issues of forest manage- ment. The legal basis of this cooperation is an agreement reached between the group from Au Tho B and the local government. Duong Mienh has also built a small wall on one side of his veranda. Banners hang from the veranda roof with drawings illustrating core messages behind the mangrove planta- tion. They say things like: ‘We need your ideas for our plans to protect the forest!’ and ‘Say NO to destructive practices. Save our natural resources!’ The last drawing in the series de- Left: Long road ahead – complete afforestation of the coastline is a laborious process. Centre: A fair deal – Thach Soal (left) and Duong Mienh are both custodians and beneficiaries of the mangrove forest. Right: A secure harvest – thanks to the mangroves, the onion fields are much better protected against flooding this season.