Women-led conservation initiative to protect migratory birds in Vietnam
The campaign, launched by WildAct, aims to call on communities to take action in protecting wild birds specifically and preserving Vietnam's diversity of natural ecosystems more broadly.
THE HANOI TIMES — The Women-led Migratory Bird Conservation project run in Hoa Lu City, the northern province of Ninh Binh by WildAct Vietnam in partnership with the Ninh Binh Women's Union fosters the protection of migratory bird species, particularly the critically endangered spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), while empowering women to lead conservation efforts at the community level.
The endangered spoon-billed sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea) found in Ninh Binh Province. Photo: www.trungtamnhietdoivietnga.com.vn
The project focused on training local women in Kim Son and Yen Mo districts in conservation planning, project management, and public communication. The program has achieved impressive results: over 60% of the Women's Union staff now have a strong understanding of migratory bird conservation, and 91.4% can develop and carry out effective environmental communication campaigns.
Delegates at the closing conference of the Women-led Migratory Bird Conservation Initiative project. Photo: Nguyen Vuong/ WildAct Vietnam
As a highlight of the initiative, two grassroots projects proposed by women's union members from Kim Son District are now being piloted in Kim Dong and Kim Trung communes. These community-driven efforts include awareness campaigns, behavior change activities, and direct action to reduce threats to bird habitats.
The Ninh Binh Women’s Union plans to expand its outreach through a series of community-focused activities aimed at protecting wild birds and their habitats. Planned initiatives include distributing educational materials on wild bird conservation, screening films about wild birds, organizing an Environmental Communication Day focused on bird protection, providing training on waste separation using probiotics, and conducting clean-up campaigns at coastal stopover sites where migratory birds gather, among other efforts.
Exhibition on wild birds and nature conservation held during the closing conference of the 'Women-led Migratory Bird Conservation Initiative' project. Photo: Nguyen Vuong/ WildAct Vietnam
WildAct Vietnam's community-based, women-centered approach is considered a model for sustainable wildlife conservation. The organization's continued collaboration with local authorities is expected to play a key role in conserving bird populations in Ninh Binh and beyond.
The spoon-billed sandpiper is a tiny shorebird native to the Arctic that migrates through Vietnam between October and March. In recent years, its numbers have plummeted due to climate change, habitat destruction, and illegal hunting along its migratory route, including critical stopovers in the Red River Delta Biosphere Reserve provinces of Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, and Nam Dinh.
Since 2023, WildAct has worked closely with local communities and authorities to address these challenges through advocacy, education, and hands-on conservation efforts.
