He added forest fires have ruined a considerable volume and area of peatland.
Peat is a rare non-renewable natural resource with high economic
value. The peatland area in Vietnam is only 36,000ha with about 24,000ha
in the Mekong Delta and U Minh forests in Ca Mau and neighbouring Kien
Giang province.
In U Minh Ha forest, peat can only be found in 8,527ha out of the total area of 40,000ha.
Peat acts as a filter helping refine water while peatlands are
critical to easing the seriousness of floods and sustaining river flows
in the dry season. This type of land also harbours a rich diversity of
endemic species./.
