MCD Vietnam is honored to contribute to the success of The 7th Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserve Network (SeaBRnet), organized in Puerto Princesa, Palawan BR, Philippines in October 2013. Delegates from the ASEAN countries have discussed various issues and made together the Palawan SeaBRnet Declaration which address the following:

1) Partnerships in Biosphere Reserves

2) Green Economy and Sustainability in Biosphere Reserves

3) Social Capital a Critical Resource for Resilient Biosphere Reserves, and

4) Role of Biosphere Reserves for Defining and Delivering the Post 2015 Agenda.

MCD staff Nguyen Van Cong gave insights of non-state actor in building partnership toward a shared vision”, sharing MCD experience in facilitating interprovincial coordination of management of the biosphere reserve in the red river delta of Vietnam.

Being a Vietnamese NGO active in conserving marine ecosystems and helping the poor and vulnerable coastal communities in learning how to adapt to climate change, MCD recognized the importance of biosphere reserve approaches and worked closely with Man and Biosphere Reserve Committee (MAB) in promoting biosphere reserve management throughout the country, especially the marine and coastal ones like the interprovincial committee of the red river delta and the Cat Ba Biosphere reserve in the north and with the Cu Lao Cham biosphere reserve in central coast.

Until 2013, Vietnam has a total of 8 Biosphere Reserves set up throughout the country, relating to an area of more than 4 million ha with high biodiversity of natural resources and important ecosystems where more than 1.4 million habitants are dependant. Biosphere reserves worldwide representing different practices, policies and management that coastal communities in Vietnam can learn to increase their resilience to climate change impact while meeting the requirements of natural resources conservation and social economic development.