Economic valuation of mangrove ecosystems at U Minh Ha National Park, Vietnam

Mangrove ecosystems provide a wide range of both direct and indirect use values to coastal communities in developing countries. The full value of mangrove products and services is not yet recognized and is therefore often ignored in development planning. As a result, decisions are made which favour commercial developments over mangrove conservation. The direct use value for U Minh Ha mangrove forest is not well understood but is considered to be high and important to about 80% of the local people in the area. This report presents an economic value of direct uses of mangroves at U Minh Ha, to support policy makers identify an economically optimal integrated management strategy for the ecosystem.