The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) awarded a World Bio-Sphere Reserve certificate to a coastal wetland zone in the Red River Delta Monday.

The Xuan Thuy-Ramsar National Park, which serves as the backbone of the reserve, boasts a diverse biosystem and provides a sanctuary to some 200 bird species, including over 50 migrant bird species. Many of the species are classified as endangered, such as the spoon-billed sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus).

With thousands of hectares of mangrove forest, wetlands and coastal and river mouth alluvial deposits, the zone acts as an incubator for approximately 500 species of sealife.

The mangrove forests also serve to mitigate the effects of climate change and rough seas and protect dyke systems in the event of natural disasters.

Source: VNA