Managing Our Mangroves: 5-min video

In September 2005, Typhoon Damrey, the most powerful typhoon to hit Vietnam in several years, crossed the east coast of Vietnam. At the epicenter of the storm in Thanh Hoa Province in the north, winds of more than 100 kilometres per hour devastated poor coastal communities, demolishing protective dykes, and destroying houses, rice fields and livestock. Only one area in this Province - Hau Loc District, escaped extensive damage. This is attributed to a belt of mangrove forests which play an essential role in preventing soil erosion and which also protected dykes by slowing down the force of the storm waves.

CARE has been working for the last three years in this area on a Community-Based Mangrove Reforestation and Management Project. This video shows how how planting and sustainable management of extensive mangrove areas are key to protecting vulnerable communities from the physical and economic impacts of disasters such as Typhoon Damrey.

10-minute version:

©2009 CARE International. Save the Children UK and CARE International grant permission to all not-for-profit organizations to show and/or reproduce this work, in whole or in part. The following notice shall appear conspicuously within any whole or partial reproduction: 'Managing Our Mangroves' © CARE International, 2009. Used by permission.