The Land of Free Storks and Little Cormorants

Some motorboats get deeply into the forest that makes flocks of birds perching on tree branches clap wings then soar on high, creating a lively picture in Tram Chim national park, Dong Thap province, southern Vietnam.

Tram Chim national park, the first Ramsar area in Mekong delta has an area of 7,000 ha, keeping an important role in the map of the world’s biological diversity. When Mekong delta is in flood season, flocks of birds in turns immigrate. 

There remains some still stay to spy out and seek out food grounds, resting places and good habitat to call their flock back. In spring, flocks of birds will return here to reside and search for food.

When motorboats move deeply into the cajuput jungle, birds hearing sound in a passive way immediately soar on high.

With the aim of sustainable tourism development, the administration of Dong Thap province, Management Board of Tram Chim national park, World Wide Fund and Coca-Cola Vietnam company coordinated and deployed the project “Preserving biological diversity & developing ecological tourism based on community” in Tram Chim with total investment budget of nearly 1.2 million USD.

The project helps to protect rare birds, improve the management of hydrology and water lever adjustment, nourish aqua species and recover vegetation.

Birds perching on branches of tree are really equanimous. If sitting on boat drifting slowly, it is easy to see nests of birds built all over places. According to statistics of WWF, surrounding the Tram Chim area there are about 12,000 Asian openbill storks, over 10,000 oriental darters, above 1,500 little cormorants and 6,000 little egrets inhabiting and reproducing.

Tram Chim national park of Dong Thap province is anticipated that it will become a special attraction in the flood season. In 2014, there is about 60,000 tourists traveling to Tram Chim, increasing 4 times compared to the number of 2013. Above 200 households living around Tram Chim are also permitted to exploit and use the resources in a reasonable way in the flood season. This will grow averagely by 1,460,000 VND per month in income of each household.

It is predicted that the Dong Thap tourism festival will take place from 25th to 27th September in the national park with the theme: “Tram Chim in flood season”.

“The project “Preserving biological diversity, developing ecological tourism based on community” has implemented smoothly and acquired results as expectation. Hoping that the management and conservation of Tram Chim continue to be maintained in order to keep firmly the appellation “Ramsar” and become an experience or a lesson for other wetlands in Mekong Delta.” said Mr. Hoang Quoc Viet, the coordinator of the project by WWF.

About the reason of choosing Tram Chim national park to preserve and invest, Mr. Nguyen Khoa My, the Director of Communications and External Relations of Coca-Cola Vietnam company notified: “In Vietnam, there are a lot of national parks, but this area has influenced evidently by climate change because it is located right in the basin of Mekong river. Therefore, pursuing this project will help to save ecological environment, giving back the best natural status quo for the residents and rare animals so as that they can return to reside.