U Minh Thuong National Park recognized as ASEAN Heritage Park

On the morning of August 12, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment coordinated with the People's Committee of Kien Giang province to organize the ceremony to award the ASEAN Heritage Park Certificate to U Minh Thuong National Park.

Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen presented the Certificate and flowers to the representative of the Management Board of U Minh Thuong National Park. Photo: Linh Huong.

U Minh Thuong National Park is the fifth national park in Vietnam to be recognized as an ASEAN Heritage Park. It is also the first ASEAN Heritage Park on peatland in the region. Previously, Vietnam had 4 national parks recognized as ASEAN Heritage Parks: Ba Be, Hoang Lien, Kon Ka Kinh and Chu Mom Ray.

According to Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Bui Cach Tuyen, U Minh Thuong National Park was highly appreciated by many domestic and foreign environmental experts for its biodiversity and conservation work at the 3rd Steering Committee Conference of the Project “Restoration and Sustainable Use of Peatlands in Southeast Asia” (Peatland Project). At the same time, delegates also recommended that Vietnam develop a dossier to propose recognizing U Minh Thuong National Park as an ASEAN Heritage Park.

Following the recommendations of environmental experts, the General Department of Environment (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) coordinated with national technical experts of the Peatland Project and U Minh Thuong National Park to develop a submission dossier and was officially recognized by the ASEAN Environment Ministers' Meeting in September 2012.

At the Certificate Awarding Ceremony, Deputy Minister Bui Cach Tuyen congratulated Kien Giang province and U Minh Thuong National Park; hoped that the Management Board of U Minh Thuong National Park would continue to fulfill its assigned tasks and promote the conservation of valuable natural resources of U Minh Thuong National Park./.

According to (dangcongsan.vn) - HL