Co-management plan to protect mangroves   More than 3,000 ha of the southern Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Soc Trang's mangrove coastal forest will be co-managed by local authorities and the Vo Thanh Van Hamlet coastal forest co-management group, which includes more than 750 local residents.- Photoduanlamnghiep SOC TRANG (VNS)- More than 3,000 ha of the southern Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta city of Soc Trang's mangrove coastal forest will be co-managed by local authorities and the Vo Thanh Van Hamlet coastal forest co-management group, which includes more than 750 local residents. This means that while the government owns the land, local communities will share decision-making power, management responsibility and accountability. The move aims to provide local communities with legal access to natural resources in protected forests while ensuring that the resources are used sustainably. It is part of a Viet Nam-German technical co-operation project that started in 2007 with the goal of protecting the coastal wetlands of Soc Trang Province for the benefit of the local population. Thach Son, head of the group established yesterday, committed to joining hands with local authorities to improve natural resources protection and management as well as group members' lives. The forest co-management model has played an important role in coastal mangrove forest protection in recent years. Thanks to policies that limited access to forests and mandated sustainable use of resources, the province's mangrove areas have been protected while residents have seen higher incomes from them, according to Bianca Schlegel, the project technical consultant. - VNS