Viet Nam has a long coastline of 3,260 km, stretching from Quang Ninh to Kien Giang. Coastal forests, especially mangroves, play an important role in the protection and life of people in coastal areas, which are considered to be the most vulnerable areas to the impacts of climate change. On January 22nd, 2015, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 120 / QD-TTg approving the Scheme on "Protection and development of coastal forests to cope with climate change in the period 2015-2020". In particular, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is assigned to build a coastal forest database to implement management working.
Supported by the Project "Increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change for vulnerable coastal communities of Vietnam" with the grant of the Green Climate Fund through the United Nations Development Program (hereinafter referred to as GCF Project). Viet Nam Forestry Administration has developed a coastal forest database to respond the above requirements; to integrate into the forestry information system (FORMIS) for the management, monitoring and evaluation of changes in nationwide coastal forests. The structure of the coastal forest database system includes: coastal forest map system; form of statistical tables on forests and land for coastal afforestation planning, softwarefor management and monitoring of coastal forests on Desktop and Website versions.
The Viet Nam Forestry Administration introduces the Guideline handbook of coastal forest database management and using so that government and local management agencies related to coastal forests know, use and respond objectives of management, protection and sustainable development coastal forests in Vietnam.
The Viet Nam Forestry Administration would like to thank the UNDP Viet Nam Office, the Central GCF Project Management Board, the Provincial GCF Project Management Board, the Institute for Forest Ecology and Environment – Viet Nam National University of Forestry, the scientists and managers in forestry sector have collaborated, assisted and contributed ideas during the compilation and completion of this Handbook.