The Red River Delta Coastal Wetland World Biosphere Reserve (Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve) was internationally recognized by UNESCO in December 2004.
Its inscription was not only an important milestone for nature conservation but also opened opportunities for broader international cooperation, helping the area gradually access advanced global management models. Since then, the reserve has become a focal research site for many organizations, universities, and experts in biodiversity, resource management, and sustainable development.
This is Vietnam’s third World Biosphere Reserve and the nation's first to implement an interprovincial management mechanism. The Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve includes coastal wetland areas of the three former provinces Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, and Ninh Binh, now under Hung Yen and Ninh Binh Provinces.
Administrative boundary changes over time have made the management scope more complex, requiring local authorities to regularly review and update planning maps to ensure consistency in direction and administration. Meanwhile, the richness of ecosystems here, with the intersection of mangrove forests, tidal flats, river channels, and aquaculture zones, creates a level of biodiversity that few reserves possess.
Doan Cao Cuong, Director of Xuan Thuy National Park, said: “According to regulations, the Management Board operates on a rotating mechanism every five years, with the Vice Chairman of each provincial People’s Committee serving as the chair for one term. However, due to objective reasons, since the board was established in 2013, no handover has been conducted. Until July 1, 2025, the reserve will continue to be managed by the Vice Chairman of the Nam Dinh Provincial People’s Committee”. In addition to being Director of Xuan Thuy National Park, Doan Cao Cuong is also Secretary General of the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve.
He added that the lack of dedicated personnel forces many tasks to be shared with concurrently assigned units, creating heavy workloads. This highlights the urgent need for a stable and long-term operating mechanism for the reserve.
As the provinces implement a two-tier local government model and reorganize their departments and agencies, the organizational structure and personnel of the Reserve Management Board have also undergone changes.
This restructuring helps streamline the system but has also led to experienced officers being reassigned, interrupting continuity in biosphere management. Some specialized positions requiring expertise in ecology, resource management, or environmental policy must be retrained for new staff.
Frequent personnel rotation increases flexibility and experience sharing among provinces but also disrupts operations, creating challenges in coordination and task implementation. To date, the Management Board has not been officially consolidated with formal documentation, resulting in instability in organization and regional coordination.
Some localities report difficulties in proposing budgets or implementing interprovincial tasks due to the lack of legal foundation, which slows the progress of previously agreed programs.
According to regulations, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Management Board may use the seal of their respective provincial People’s Committees to coordinate activities of the reserve. Meanwhile, Secretary General Doan Cao Cuong uses the seal of Xuan Thuy National Park for assigned duties.
However, this management mechanism has limitations. The Director of Xuan Thuy National Park, despite efforts to flexibly coordinate, can only manage within a limited administrative area, making it difficult to fully assume interprovincial coordination responsibilities.
Effective multi-sector coordination between two provinces requires a neutral focal agency with clear authority and guaranteed operating funds, yet these conditions are not fully met. Many cooperative activities remain at the information-sharing stage and cannot be fully implemented due to the lack of unified operational mechanisms.
Particularly, Cuong shared that the reserve's operating budget is still very limited. Most funds are allocated to units within each province, with no joint fund for interprovincial activities.
As a result, many cross-regional activities, such as biodiversity monitoring, scientific research, or workshops, cannot be fully carried out. Some programs depend on support from international organizations, reducing long-term sustainability.
“The absence of a dedicated coordination office and full-time staff has caused fragmented management and limited coordination among provinces”, the Secretary General of the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve noted.
In the reserve, the main agencies responsible for biodiversity conservation include the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Ninh Binh Province, the Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hung Yen Province, the Management Board of Xuan Thuy National Park, and the Management Board of Thai Binh Wetland Nature Reserve.
Coordination among these agencies has been strengthened through data sharing, joint training, and interprovincial research projects. These activities help unify monitoring methods and enhance local technical capacity.
In 2025, implementation of Directive No. 04/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on urgent tasks and solutions for conserving wild and migratory birds received strong attention and cooperation at all administrative levels. The Ninh Binh Provincial People’s Committee issued Directive No. 05/CT-UBND on October 10, 2025 to strengthen management and conservation of wild and migratory birds in the province.
Thanks to this coordinated effort, many former hotspots of hunting and trapping migratory birds have been effectively brought under control, and the awareness of residents in coastal communes has improved significantly.
The reserve continues the project “Restoration and Sustainable Management of Mangrove Forests in the Red River Delta” in Kim Son District (former Ninh Binh) and Giao Thuy District (former Nam Dinh).
The project not only focuses on restoring degraded mangrove forest areas but also prioritizes rehabilitating ecological corridors that connect the forest with tidal flats, thereby creating favorable conditions for the return of many important bird and aquatic species.
The project not only focuses on restoring degraded mangrove areas but also aims to reconnect ecological corridors between forests and tidal flats, facilitating the return of important bird and aquatic species.
According to the reserve’s 2025 report, new bird grounds are gradually forming in two communes, Kim Dong and Binh Minh, with species such as herons, egrets, hawks, waterfowl, gulls, and wild ducks.
Experts consider this an important indicator showing that the mangrove ecosystem is recovering well, with a habitat that is safe enough and rich in food sources to attract birds to return and reside long-term.
In 2025, Forest Protection Unit Zone VII organized communication events on conservation of wild and migratory birds and cooperated with WildAct Vietnam to conduct patrols and raise awareness. As a result, one violation case involving wildlife management (including 4 Night herons and 12 Little egrets) was detected and handled.
The prompt and transparent handling of violations has contributed to deterrence, significantly reducing illegal hunting activities within coastal communities.
According to Vu Quoc Dat, Deputy Director of Xuan Thuy National Park, patrols and monitoring using flycam drones have been strengthened in 2025.
“The park has proactively coordinated with Forest Protection forces and Border Guards to patrol, monitor forest resources, the environment, and security within its management area.
Thanks to consistent communication and enhanced patrols preventing violations, no cases of resource infringement occurred in 2025”, Dat added.
In addition, flycam-based monitoring activities help quickly detect eroded areas or unusual changes, providing strong support for management efforts.
Simultaneously, monitoring and data collection on wild and migratory birds continued regularly. Dat reported that during the 2024-2025 migration season, over 100 Black-faced spoonbills were consistently recorded, along with new flocks of migratory ducks such as the Garganey and Spot-billed duck.
These figures demonstrate the appeal of the Xuan Thuy ecosystem to waterbirds, while also affirming the effectiveness of the conservation measures that have been implemented and continue to be carried out.
During this period, more than 50 wild birds (mainly Night heron of family Ardeidae) were rescued and released by the Nam Dinh Forest Protection Sub-department (now the Ninh Binh Department of Forestry and Forest Protection).
To strengthen management of fisheries activities, Xuan Thuy National Park coordinated with Ba Lat Border Guard Station and authorities of Giao Minh and Giao Hoa communes to communicate and handle illegal fishing activities within the park’s strict protection zone.
The park also instructed and reminded local boat operators serving tourists to strictly ensure safety and public order.
In Hung Yen’s coastal forest areas (former Thai Binh), many species thrive within diverse habitats.
In 2025, the Thai Binh Wetland Nature Reserve Management Board, together with the Thai Binh Forest Protection Sub-department and local authorities, conducted outreach activities, issued guidance on what residents may and may not do, and organized multiple communication events in Thai Thuy and Tien Hai special-use forests.
The reserve installed awareness signs, surveyed livelihood activities affecting the wetland ecosystem, and proposed mitigation measures. It also signed commitments with households living near the reserve on forest protection and biodiversity conservation.
Additionally, it cooperated with Xuan Thuy National Park on a central-level agricultural extension program, and with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment’s Communication Center to plant 10,000 trees in Thai Thuy Wetland Nature Reserve.
In 2025, management and coordination activities remained aligned with the Vietnam National Committee for the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB Vietnam) and UNESCO’s framework.
Specifically, the reserve provided input for the second periodic report to UNESCO. The Management Board and Secretariat coordinated with central and local agencies to gather, compile, and finalize the ten-year evaluation report.
The Director of Xuan Thuy National Park, as Secretary General of the reserve, attended the 5th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves and the 37th Session of the International Coordinating Council of the Man and Biosphere Programme (MAB ICC) in Hangzhou, China.
The conference gathered over 4,000 delegates from 136 countries, including government leaders, scientists, conservation experts, business representatives, and local communities. It was considered the world’s largest forum on conservation and sustainable development within the MAB framework.
The World Congress of Biosphere Reserves takes place every ten years to review progress and set directions for the next phase.
Discussions focused on contributions of biosphere reserves to biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, and promoting harmonious development models between humans and nature.
Two key documents were adopted: the Hangzhou Strategic Action Plan 2026-2035 and the Hangzhou Declaration, reaffirming global commitment to a shared future for humanity and nature.
The Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve also maintains close communication with MAB Vietnam and the national biosphere reserve network.
Through regular information exchange, the reserve updates UNESCO and MAB Vietnam policies and shares management experience with other reserves nationwide.
It actively participates in domestic and international conferences, promoting its image and role within the global network.
Representatives contributed presentations, information, images, and technical materials to UNESCO Vietnam publications, helping spread the reserve’s values to both domestic and international communities.
Overall, 2025 activities helped strengthen regional coordination, improve the reserve’s standing within the global network, and promote conservation linked with sustainable development and international integration.
Despite positive results, interprovincial coordination continues to face difficulties.
A key issue is the incomplete organizational structure. After multiple personnel rotations, the Management Board and Secretariat have not been fully consolidated, affecting stability, cross-sector collaboration, and the pace of shared initiatives.
Additionally, management and coordination regulations are outdated. Rules issued in 2013 have not been updated to reflect current realities, new legal frameworks, or modern interprovincial management requirements.
There is still no specific legal document defining the model, structure, or operating mechanism for World Biosphere Reserves in Vietnam. Financial mechanisms are not sustainable; most funding depends on environmental budgets or short-term projects.
Interest levels among provinces also vary. Although the reserve spans Hung Yen and Ninh Binh, provincial priorities and investments are not evenly distributed, limiting grassroots-level coordination.
Natural threats to biodiversity are increasing, including land-use changes, coastal industrial development, pollution, overexploitation, invasive species, plastic waste, and climate change impacts.
Another important issue is limited resources, both financial and human, for the reserve’s long-term operations.