Diverse ecosystems

Located in the city’s southern area, the Bai Say-Song Dam wetland, covering about 200 hectares, serves as a “green lung” and a habitat for numerous bird species, including the rare Asian openbill listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book.

Local fisherman Nguyen Phuc said dozens of bird species appeared seasonally. Residents complied with conservation rules, refraining from hunting or trapping birds and using electric fishing equipment, helping wild birds return in increasing numbers.

Recognising the wetland’s distinctive south-central coastal ecosystem, Da Nang is planning to establish a new nature reserve there. Local authorities have worked with conservation organisations to mobilise resources for research, protection and restoration, including releasing fish and planting vegetation. Ecotourism activities are also being developed.

Covering nearly 12,000 sq.km, Da Nang lies within the central Truong Son ecological core, where northern and southern flora converge. Its conservation areas include Song Thanh National Park, part of Bach Ma National Park, the Sao La and Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Areas, Ngoc Linh and Ba Na-Nui Chua nature reserves, Son Tra Peninsula Nature Reserve and Cu Lao Cham World Biosphere Reserve.

Nearly a decade after establishing the Elephant Species and Habitat Conservation Area, authorities released images of nine wild elephants, including two calves. Wildlife experts consider them a rare Asian elephant population in Vietnam, with the calves offering encouraging signs of natural reproduction amid declining numbers.

According to the Da Nang Forest Protection Sub-department, local forests also support endangered species such as the Sao La, Golden-winged Laughingthrush and Douc Langurs, alongside valuable medicinal and other plant species.

By 2030, the city plans to establish additional protected areas for Pomu, Green Langurs and Grey-shanked Douc Langurs in Tam My, as well as landscape protection areas in Nui Thanh and Nam Tra My.

Biodiversity shapes urban identity

Da Nang is promoting controlled ecotourism in national parks and nature reserves. At Song Thanh National Park, plans are being studied for ecotourism, resorts and recreation around Khe Vinh Reservoir and the Song Thanh-Khe Lung area, to diversify tourism offerings and highlight local cultural identity.

Offshore, Cu Lao Cham in Tan Hiep Island commune attracts international visitors with its natural landscapes and rich marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Hundreds of hectares of natural coral reefs surround the island cluster, while more than 90% of its area is covered by a primary forest. The islands also support diverse wildlife, including Long-tailed Macaques and Swiftlets listed in Vietnam’s Red Data Book.

Tan Hiep People’s Committee Vice Chairman Dinh Ngoc Luc said community-led environmental protection and tourism were helping ensure the sustainable use of the biosphere reserve’s biodiversity.

Forests safeguard water supplies, prevent erosion, absorb carbon and mitigate climate change, while rivers, wetlands, coral reefs and seagrass beds maintain ecological balance and support coastal livelihoods.

The city’s master plan prioritises development that respects natural ecosystems, preserves ecological corridors, protects flood-storage areas and limits urban expansion in environmentally sensitive and disaster-prone zones. It also identifies Son Tra, Cu Lao Cham and Ba Na as potential national tourism areas, with safeguards for forests, marine ecosystems and rare species, particularly the red-shanked douc langur.

Da Nang aims to become an ecological, modern and smart coastal city by 2050, with a strong cultural identity, safety, a high quality of life, and international appeal and standing. Looking ahead to 2075, the city envisions itself as an ecological, modern and smart coastal city with global connectivity, among Asia’s leading cities in terms of distinctive identity, and gradually meeting the criteria for a special-class urban area./.