A Sad Year for Birds and Birders in Danang As Seven Wetland Sites Almost Simultaneously Give Way to Urban Development
By Maurizio Saroli The wetlands around Danang have long been a refuge for migratory and resident birds. They provide food, shelter and breeding grounds in a landscape otherwise dominated by concrete and tarmac. Yet these habitats are now under severe pressure. Rapid urban expansion, driven by tourism and real estate development, is consuming the few remaining habitats left to birds. Wetlands are more than incidental patches of waterlogged ground. They are complex systems that regulate water flow, filter pollutants and support a wide range of species. For birds, they are indispensable. Waders, herons, kingfishers, and ducks rely on shallow pools and reed beds. Migrants crossing from northern Asia to southern wintering grounds stop here to rest and feed. Without these vital sites, their journeys become much more difficult. In Danang, the pace of construction has accelerated. Hotels, apartment blocks, shopping malls and recreational parks are spreading into areas once considered marginal....