NATURAL-RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN MITIGATING CLIMATE IMPACTS - THE EXAMPLE OF MANGROVE RESTORATION IN VIETNAM

The risk that tropical storm occurrence may alter as a result of globa l warming presents coastal managers, particularly in vulnerable areas, with a serious challenge. Many countries are hard-pressed to protect their coastal resources against present-day hazards, let alone any inc reased threat in the future. Moreover, the threat posed by climate cha nge is uncertain making the increased costs of protection difficult to justify. Here, we examine one management strategy, based on the rehab ilitation of the mangrove ecosystem, which may provide a dual, ''win-w in'' benefit in improving the livelihood of local resource users as we ll as enhancing sea defences. The strategy,therefore,represent a preca utionary approach to climate impact mitigation. This paper quantifies the economic benefits of mangrove rehabilitation undertaken, inter ali a, to enhance sea defence systems in three coastal Districts of northe rn Vietnam. The results of the analysis show that mangrove rehabilitat ion can be desirable from an economic perspective based solely on the direct use benefits by local communities. Such activities have even hi gher benefit cost ratios with the inclusion of the indirect benefits r esulting from the avoided maintenance cost for the sea dike system whi ch the mangrove stands protect from coastal storm surges. (C) 1998 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.