Ha Tien (12006)
Vietnam, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Ha Tien
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.4167, Longitude: 104.5833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 2
Area of KBA (km2): 69.87868
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Ha Tien is situated in the north-west of the Ha Tien plain, a flat coastal plain, which is one of the last remaining extensive areas of seasonally inundated grassland in the Mekong Delta. The soils in the area have a high acid-sulphate content, which means that the land is marginal for agriculture. The site has been proposed as a nature reserve by BirdLife International but is currently under threat of being converted into agricultural land.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) The site has been reviewed and re-confirmed as a KBA in the process of compiling the revised 2011 CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The Ha Tien site comprises a mixture of grassland, Melaleuca scrub and Nypa fruticans swamp.
Land use: agriculture (14%) | forestry (38%) | not utilised (48%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 7 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 54 | |
| Grassland | 39 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The seasonally inundated grassland at the site is under severe and immediate threat of conversion to rice agriculture and forestry.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Agro-industry farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Industrial aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Birdlife International and the Forest Inventory and Planning Instutute (2001) Sourcebook of existing and proposed protected areas in Vietnam. Hanoi, Vietnam: BirdLife International Vietnam Programme and the Forest Inventory and Planning Institute.Buckton, S. T., Ngyuyen Cu, Nguyen Duc Tu and Ha Quy Quynh (1999) The conservation of key wetland sites in the Mekong delta. Hanoi: Birdlife International Vietnam programme.Nguyen Duc Tu, Nguyen Cu and Buckton, S. T. (2001) Wetlands and waterbirds in the Mekong Delta. OBC Bulletin 33: 30-33Tran Triet ed. (2001) Proceedings of the workshop: Conservation and utilization of biodiversity resources of the Ha Tien-Kien Luong wetlands, Kien Giang province. Rach Gia 17-19 June 2001. Ho Chi Minh City: College of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University