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Good practice Imported

U Minh Thượng Integrated Water & Fire Management — Peat Swamp Forest Protection (Vietnam)

Vietnam · U Minh Thượng · See the Vietnam profile

Evidence: Observational / pre–post Top 5% 73/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Since 2009, U Minh Thượng National Park, Vietnam, has had zero forest fires by keeping dry-season water tables above a 50cm threshold, protecting ~3,900 ha of peat swamp — though a 2024 study found peat carbon stocks kept declining 2003–2022 despite the fire-free record.

0
Forest fires since water-management change (2009-present)
3,900 hectares
Peat swamp forest protected
2.68M to 1.09M tonnes
Core-zone peat carbon reserves (2003-2022)
20,000+
Waterbirds supported
U Minh Thượng Integrated Water & Fire Management — Peat Swamp Forest Protection (Vietnam)

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
U Minh Thượng National Park Administration / Southern Institute of Forestry Science / Kiên Giang University / Leibniz University Hannover
Period
2009–present
Keywords
peat swamp forest, fire management, water table management, Ramsar wetland, biodiversity conservation

Context

Since 2009, U Minh Thượng National Park in Vietnam's Mekong Delta has managed dry-season water levels above roughly 50cm below the peat surface to prevent ignition, following a catastrophic 2002 fire that destroyed much of the park's peat layer; the park protects about 3,900 hectares of Melaleuca peat swamp forest and was designated the first ASEAN Heritage Park on peatland (2012) and a Ramsar site (2015).

Results

No forest fires have occurred in the park since 2009. However, a 2024 peer-reviewed peat-coring study (Thai et al., Sustainability) found core-zone peat carbon reserves fell from roughly 2.68 million to 1.09 million tonnes between 2003 and 2022, indicating continued peat decomposition and subsidence despite the fire-free record.

Implementation

Implementation detail (cost, timeline, staffing, conditions for success) is not yet available for this practice.

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