In the Mekong Delta region, many new cities are recognized and upgraded but while high-rise buildings are being built the number of trees is reducing.

A big tree is chopped down in My Tho City.

Rach Gia in Kien Giang province is a city in the Mekong Delta where construction is happening very fast indeed. It has a total area of 10,000 hectares, 250,000 people, 50 roads but only 2,330 trees. On average, there is only one tree for each 107 residents and 4.2 hectares of land. Some streets in Rach Gia nos have no trees, for example Vo Thi Sau.

Ca Mau City in Ca Mau province is 250,000 hectares in area but has only 3,370 trees. The total area covered with trees is only 3 hectares. There is only one tree for each 64 people and 7.4 hectares of land.

Vinh Long city is a third-grade city, with 4,800 hectares of area and a population of over 147,000. It has 2960 trees on the street or a tree for every 50 people and 1.6ha of land. Some streets don’t have any tree or have only very few. In this city, parks have an additional 920 trees and around 200 others in offices and schools.

Trees in cities of the Mekong Delta are both old and simple in varieties. Rach Gia city mainly grows dau, viet, bang lang, flamboyant and areca palm trees.

Vinh Long city has 18 species of trees on the street.

A new street in Rach Gia City, which needs more trees.

Expanding roads and upgrading pavements in these cities push the number of trees down further. Over 300 trees of over 10 years old were cut down in Ca Mau city to serve road enlarging projects. Local residents complained and asked the local authorities to pull the trees up to plant them again but trees were still chopped down.

The situation is similar in My Tho City, Tien Giang province, where ancient trees of over hundred years old were cut down for building roads.

Local people have asked for long-term plans to grow and protect trees in these cities.

VietNamNet/Tien Phong