Mangrove forest threatened

Forest dweller: Hoa carrying a bunch of nipa fruits in the mangrove forest. He goes fishing at night in the same area. — The Straits Times/ANN

THE mangroves in Cai Gio District hold a deep, dark secret. They are the only ones to have recovered from chemical warfare.

Formed in the large delta at the estuaries of three rivers – Dong Nai, Sai Gon and Vam Co – the Can Gio mangroves were almost completely destroyed during the Vietnam War by more than 4.5 million litres of the herbicide known as Agent Orange used mostly by the United States military.