Nearly 200 local and international experts, scientists and managers gathered at a forum in the southernmost Vietnamese province of Ca Mau on April 12 to discuss ways to preserve the natural and cultural values of the Mekong Delta region.  Rice fields in Can Tho (Image: VNA) The forum, entitled ‘Conserving Natural and Cultural Values for Sustainable Development in the Mekong Delta Region’, was organised jointly by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Sweden’s Stockholm University and the Ca Mau provincial People’s Committee.Scientific reports at the forum affirmed that the Mekong Delta contains a diverse ecosystems including mangroves, rivers, inland lakes, sand dunes, and seasonally inundated grasslands, each of which brings specific characteristics and economic benefits to the region.However, economic development and population growth, along with the impacts of climate change and unreasonable planning, have created pressure on the environment and even changed, weakened or destroyed the structure, functions, and diversity of these regional ecosystems.Delegates stressed the need to protect, restore and maintain healthy ecosystems in both the short and long term, which requires comprehensive policies and co-ordination among relevant agencies and localities, particularly those involved in managing natural resources, to ensure the long-term livelihoods of local people.It is also essential to improve education and raise community awareness about minimising the negative impacts that human activities may have on the ecosystem.Nhan Dan Online