A view of Lang Sen Wetland Reserve. (Source: dulichsonghien.com)
Lang Sen Wetland Reserve is then the seventh Ramsar site in Vietnam and the 2,227th worldwide.
Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thanh Nguyen said local authority has worked hard to protect and preserve Lang Sen Wetland Reserve.
The province will continue its good works while getting local residents involved in a joint effort to conserve the biodiversity of the reserve, he vowed, affirming the determination to turn it into an attractive destination for eco-tourism and research.
Located in Tan Hung district, the Reserve spreads over 5,000 hectares. It is the best sample of natural riverine forests in Dong Thap Muoi Wetlands, the Mekong Delta with cajuput forests, rice fields, grassland, trees and riverine swamps.
The reserve is home to approximately 150 kinds of plants and 150 species of wild animals, mostly water birds. Some 24 of them are mentioned in Vietnam and the world’s red lists of threatened species, such as red-crowned cranes, oriental darters and glossy ibis.
The site also contains a 1,500-hectare island surrounded by Vam Co Tay River and has been seen as a natural air-conditioner for Long An and neighbouring localities during summer.
Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands.