HA NAM - NINH BINH LIMESTONE
Ha Nam is located in the Southwest of the Red River Delta, bordering Hanoi to the North, Hung Yen and Thai Binh provinces to the East, Ninh Binh province to the South, Nam Dinh province to the Southeast and Hoa Binh province to the West. The terrain ranges from West to East, the West of the province which mainly in Kim Bang district has mountainous terrain, the East is a plain with many low points, with natural land area of 86,193 ha; Ha Nam has a diverse terrain with plains, semi-mountains and low-lying areas. The western part of the province is a semi-mountainous area with limestone mountains, forests and steep terrain. The limestone mountains here are a part of the Hoa Binh – Ninh Binh limestone mountain range, with a large density of division creating many caves with interesting stalactites. Down to the East are lowland hills mixed with rocky mountains and valleys of fields.
Ninh Binh is a province located at the Southernmost of the Northern Delta. Tam Diep mountain ranges in the direction of Northwest – Southeast, making a natural boundary between Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces. The East and Northeast are surrounded by Day River, bordered by Ha Nam and Nam Dinh provinces, Hoa Binh province in the North, East Sea in the South. 1A and 10 National Highways and North-South railway run through the province. Ninh Binh is located in the contiguous area between the Red River Delta and the Western sedimentary rock band and is located at the end of the bottom edge of the Red River Delta triangle. Since it is adjacent to the East Sea, its terrain includes 3 distinct regions: mountains, plains and coastal areas.
Compared to the provinces of the Red River Delta, Ninh Binh is the province with the largest forest area with about 19,033 hectares, accounting for 23.5% of the region’s forest area, accounting for 13.3% of the province’s natural area. NInh BInh has quite large limestone mountains running in the Northwest – Southeast direction, through Nho Quan, Gia Vien, Hoa Lu, Tam Diep, Yen Mo districts to the East Sea, more than 40km long, with an area of over 12,000 hectares.
The limestone mountains of Ha Nam – Ninh Binh were mainly formed during the period from Carboniferous – Permian to the Middle Triassic (about 235 million years ago). With beautiful and charming landscapes, diverse ethnic cultural traditions, various resources, ecosystems, environment, as well as geological and geomorphological features. Cuc Phuong forest is a typical one with an area of 220 km2, 1944 species of higher plants belonging to 224 families, 541 vertebrate species, of which 319 bird species and 2000 insects species.
What CCD is doing?
Activities towards sustainable development and conservation of limestone areas in Ha Nam- Ninh Binh in specific and Vietnam in general are still facing many difficulties due to conflicts of interests from many sides. The Center for Nature Conservation and Development is having effective cooperation activities with Ha Nam FPD, local community groups in Kim Bang and Kim Boi (Hoa Binh) and a number of conservation partners to strengthen research activities, raise awareness about Delacour’s langur (Trachypithecus delacouri). Thereby, it helps to minimize the adverse impacts on the habitat in order to protect and restore the population of the Delacour’s langur in Kim Bang and surrounding areas.