Unesco has recognized a coastal wetland zone in northern Viet Nam’s Red River Delta as a world biosphere reserve.

Xuan Thuy national park is home of some 200 species of birds.

It issued the certificates of recognition to Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, and Ninh Binh, the three provinces the reserve straddles, at a ceremony in Nam Dinh town yesterday.

At its heart is Xuan Thuy National Park, which was recognized in 1989 as the first Ramsar Site in Viet Nam.

The 7,100-ha park, situated in Nam Dinh, has thousands of hectares of mangrove forests that support many aquatic species.

It is also home to some 200 species of birds, including over 50 migrant species. It is also home to ca moi co (Clupanodon thrissa), a fish listed in the Viet Nam Red Book as vulnerable and at risk of extinction.

It attracts more than 100 co thia (Black-faced Spoonbill) from September to May every year, a migratory water bird listed as a rare and valuable species. There are just 300 of these birds throughout the world.